Vanessa Paradis joins Vallee's "Cafe de Flore"

By Siewaun
Reference: Variety

French actress-singer Vanessa Paradis is set to star in director Jean-Marc Vallee's "Cafe de Flore," a French-Canadian romantic feature.

Canadian film director Vallee ("C.R.A.Z.Y.," "The Young Victoria") will direct the feature from his own script, which is a two parallel stories feature; story set in the 1960s Paris tells of a devoted mother (Paradis) to a child with developmental disability; while story set in present day Montreal tells of a couple.

Vallee was quoted as saying to Daily Variety, "It's an epic love story that deals with supernatural forces."

Montreal-based Item7, Crazyfilms and Paris-based Monkey Pack Films are co-producing the two stories feature, with Pierre Even and Marie-Claude Poulin producing for Item 7; Vallee producing for Crazyfilms; and Jean-Yves Robin, Nicolas Coppermann and Vanessa Fourgeaud producing for Monkey Pack films.

Shooting is scheduled to begin this summer in Montreal, before moving location to Paris.

Melanie Thierry joins director Andre Techine's "Unforgivable"

By Siewaun
Reference: Variety

Melanie Thierry, best known to international audiences for her starring role in the 2008 movie Babylon A.D., and recently won the César Awards for her breakthrough performance in "Le dernier pour la route," will star alongside Carole Bouquet "Trop belle pour toi" and Andre Dussollier "On connaît la chanson" in director Andre Techine's "Unforgivable (working title)."

The movie which is based on Philippe Djian's novel, tells of a successful writer in his 60s who struggles to carry on with his life after the death of his wife and daughter in a car accident.

Said Ben Said's Paris-based SBS will produce the movie, and TF1 International will sell the movie to buyers at Cannes. Theatrical release in France will be handled by UGC Distribution.

Shooting, which will take 10 weeks to complete, begins this week in Venice.

Clive Owen joins Jason Statham in "The Killer Elite"

By Siewaun
Reference: Variety

Clive Owen ("Closer," "Children of Men," "The International") has joined Jason Statham in action-thriller "The Killer Elite," which was based on Sir Ranulph Fiennes' novel "The Feather Men."

The movie which will be directed by Irish director Gary McKendry, tells of a group of former British special forces members being hunted by a team of assassins led by Statham's character, a former Navy Seal.

Owen will play a senior field operative and member of a clandestine group protecting former special forces soldiers and their families.

Omnilab Media and Inferno Entertainment provide finance for the project.

Omnilab's Ambience Entertainment's Michael Boughen is producing alongside Current Entertainment's Steve Chasman and Joni Sighvatsson. Omnilab Media's Christopher Mapp, Matthew Street and David Whealy, Inferno's Jim Seibel and Bill Johnson are co-executive producing.

Shooting is scheduled to begin in Melbourne on May 13, and continues until mid-July. Then in late July, shooting will move location to Wales.

Director Martin Provost reunites with Moreau in "Où Va la Nuit"

By Siewaun
Reference: Ioncinema

French director Martin Provost, whose directed movie "Seraphine" won 3 César Awards, including Best Film, Best Writing and Best Actress (Yolande Moreau), is set to direct the adaptation of Irish writer Keith Ridgway’s novel "The Long Falling."

Provost will reunite with Yolande Moreau for the new project titled "Où Va la Nuit" (Where the Night Goes). Supporting cast for the movie are Arthur Dupont, Edith Scob, Laurent Capelluto, Valentijn Dhaenens and Jan Hammenecker.

Co-adapted by Provost and Marc Abdelnour, who wrote script for "Seraphine," the movie centers on the character of Rose, played by Moreau who is regularly beaten by her alcoholic husband, so she decides to escape from this hell by running him over in the car. Then she covers up her crime before leaving to go find her gay son, Thomas, in Brussels, hoping to find the support she needs, but Thomas is bogged down in his own contradictions and cannot imagine that his mother could have murdered his father.

Julie Salvador produces the $6.1 million feature at F Comme Films, and Roissy Films, a French independent distribution company, which is a subsidiairy of Luc Besson's EuropaCorp, will handle international sales.

Shooting for the feature is ongoing at one of the 3 location which includes Sud-Avesnois, Lille and Brussels.

Considine makes directorial debut with "Tyrannosaur"

By Siewaun
Reference: Variety

British actor-director, Paddy Considine, is set make his feature directorial debut with "Tyrannosaur," which is based on his "Dog Altogether" short.

Considine directed and wrote the short Dog Altogether starring Peter Mullan "My Name Is Joe.", and won the 2007 BAFTA award for Best Short Film, as well as a Silver Lion for Best Short Film at the 2007 Venice Film Festival.

The Warp X and Inflammable Films production feature will have Mullan and Olivia Coleman "Hot Fuzz" back to play the same role as they did in "Dog Altogether," while Eddie Marsan "Happy Go Lucky" is the new add-on.

Diarmid Scrimshaw, who previously produced "Dog Altogether," will also produce "Tyrannosaur," which centers on a self-destructive man named Joseph (Mullan), whose life is spiralling into turmoil before he meets a Christian charity shop worker named Hannah (Coleman), who is hiding a secret of her own.

Movie is financially backed by Australian production company Madman, UK film distributor Optimum Releasing, and Swedish Nonstop Entertainment.

Shooting is scheduled to begin in Leeds on 12th of April.

Bille August to direct author Blixen's biopic

By Siewaun
Reference: Variety

Acclaimed Danish director Bille August, who won an Oscar and the Palme D'or for the 1987 feature "Pelle the Conqueror," is set to direct Karen Blixen biopic "Tanne."

Movie will portray Blixen's early life, from her birth in Naples until her departure to Kenya, Africa in 1913.

Blixen's memoir, "Out of Africa," written under the pen name of Isak Dinesen, was made into a movie by Sydney Pollack in 1985, starring Meryl Streep and Robert Redford. The movie won 7 Oscars, including the Best Actress award for Streep who starred as Blixen.

August will direct the biopic, which is estimated to be between 10 to 12 million-dollar budget, from script by Peter Asmussen "Breaking the Waves."

Regner Grasten is producing the movie through his Regner Grasten Film banner.

No announcement been made yet regarding the cast.

Shooting is scheduled to begin early next year.

Alberto Rodriguez to command the "Grupo 7"

By Siewaun
Reference: Variety

Spanish director Alberto Rodriguez is set to direct his fourth solo movie titled "Grupo 7," following "El traje," "7 vírgenes" and "After," and will be produced by Madrid-based Atipica Films and Seville's La Zanfona Producciones.

Screenplay for the movie is co-written by Rodriguez and his co-writer for "7 vírgenes" and "After," Rafael Cobos.

"Grupo 7," which is based on real happenings, is about an extra-official police operation unit battling drugs and prostitution in downtown Seville before the 1992 International Expo.

Jose Antonio Felez, founder of Atipica Films, was quoted as saying to Daily Variety, "'Grupo 7' is character-driven, noirish, and heavy on street action. Rodriguez has a gift for this kind of film."

Cast for the movie is still under wraps, but is expected to be starring famous Spanish actors. The movie is scheduled to begin shooting around September.

Vincent Cassel is leading "The Monk"

By Siewaun
Reference: Variety

French actor Vincent Cassel ("Irréversible," "Ocean's Twelve") has been cast as the leading actor in 18th century-set suspense feature "The Monk," and will star alongside Deborah Francois "The First Day of the Rest of Your Life", Sergi Lopez "Leaving" and Geraldine Chaplin "The Orphanage".

French-German director Dominik Moll ("With a Friend Like Harry," "Lemming") will direct the movie, which is based on Matthew Lewis' Gothic novel, and depicts the rise and tragic downfall of Capucin Ambrosio, a respected Spanish monk.

The 11 million Euro movie is produced by Diaphana Films' Michel Saint-Jean and Madrid-based company Morena Films' Alvaro Longoria.

Shooting is scheduled to begin in mid-April.

The Bureau to co-produce Hurt's and Rossellini's "Late Bloomers"

By Siewaun
Reference: Variety

The Bureau, a U.K. production company, is in collaborations with Gaumont and Sylvie Pialat's Les Film du Worso of France, and Be-Films of Belgium to produce Julie Gavras' romantic comedy "Late Bloomers."

The English-language movie will star William Hurt and Isabella Rossellini as a married couple in their 50s facing the passage of years.

The Bureau's Bertrand Faivre was quoted as saying, "This is a love story and a comedy aimed at mature audiences."

Shooting is scheduled to begin in North London on the 18th of March.

The Bureau's other produced movies include Alexis Dos Santos's "Unmade Beds," starring Deborah Francois, Asif Kapadia's "Far North," starring Michelle Yeoh, Sean Bean, and Fabienne Berthaud's "Barefoot," starring Diane Kruger and Ludivine Sagnier.

Eric Brevig and Charlotte Huggins reteam for "17 Days of Winter"

By Siewaun
Reference: Variety

U.S. director Eric Brevig "Journey to the Center of the Earth" who is now filming "Yogi Bear," and producer Charlotte Huggins are in collaboration with Madmedia Entertainment to make a 3D Korean war epic "17 Days of Winter," the story of the 1950 Battle of Chosin Reservoir. Madmedia's founder Jayson Won is executive producing the movie.

Brevig and Huggins had previously worked together on New Line's 3D movie "Journey to the Center of the Earth."

Brian Iglesias, a combat decorated 14 year veteran Marine Officer and filmmaker, who has made a feature length documentary about the Chosin Battle titled "Forgotten War," is also executive producing "17 Days of Winter," and serves as the movie's military advisor.

According to Variety, the movie which budgeted an estimate of $100 million, centers on the 1st Marine Division over the brutal 17-day battle of Chosin Reservoir, where United Nations forces including 12,000 U.S. Marines and soldiers were encircled by a vastly superior Chinese force. In a brutal battle fought amid rugged mountains and sub-zero temperatures, U.N. forces escaped to safety, though American forces suffered more than 6,000 casualties.

The South Korean government, including the Ministry of National Defense and the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Sports will give unprecedented support following the country's preparation for the 60th anniversary of the war.

Brevig was quoted by Daily Variety as saying, "Telling a personal story against an epic background involves bringing the audience into the story with the characters," he said. "The ability to create amazing immersive images that have never been seen before is what makes 3D an exciting and appropriate tool for the story."

Shooting, which producers are planning to begin next winter for a 2012 release, will be taking place in Korea and New Zealand with American, Chinese and Korean casts.

EuropaCorp to produce 3D sci-fi actioner "Section 8"

By Siewaun
Reference: Variety

Luc Besson's EuropaCorp studio is producing an English-language 3D sci-fi action feature titled "Section 8," which Ireland's Stephen St. Leger and James Mather will direct.

St. Leger, Mather and Besson wrote the script for the movie, which is about a prison that orbits 50 miles above the earth, and houses 500 of the world's most dangerous criminals, kept asleep by sophisticated techniques until they suddenly awaken.

Pierre-Ange Le Pogam, EuropaCorp co-founder was quoted as saying, "When you read the script, you can easily guess how the live-action and 3D will take this sci-fi thriller to a great level and the two guys are very, very talented." He also said that the production budget is about $30 million.

EuropaCorp is in early talks with a major Hollywood company regarding U.S. distribution on the movie, and aims to start filming late spring or early summer.

Firth and Macfadyen join Sturgess in "The Promised Land"

By Siewaun
Reference: Variety

Colin Firth "A Single Man" and Matthew Macfadyen "Pride and Prejudice" will be joining Jim Sturgess "Across the Universe" in Michael Winterbottom's "The Promised Land."

The movie focuses on the Jewish militant groups that launches terror attacks against British forces and Palestinian civilians during their campaign for statehood, and the subsequent 1948 partition of Palestine and the creation of the state of Israel. Sturgess will be starring as a British officer who tracks down Jewish militants.

Winterbottom's Revolution Films partner Andrew Eaton will produce the movie, and Fortissimo Films will handle worldwide sales.

Shooting for the $5 million project will begin on location in the summer.

Winterbottom's previous three movies, "Welcome to Sarajevo," "Wonderland" and "24 Hour Party People," was nominated for the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival.

Omar Sharif set to star in "King Lear"

By Siewaun
Reference: Variety

Egyptian veteran actor Omar Sharif who famously starred in "Doctor Zhivago," "Funny Girl" and "Lawrence of Arabia," will be starring in the big screen adaptation of William Shakespeare's classic tragedy "King Lear," which reset in modern-day Egypt.

French producer Frederic Sichler will develop and produce the movie through his Amana Creative banner. He is co-producing "King Lear" with Egypt's Gabriel Khoury's Misr International, while Egyptian state broadcaster Egypt National Broadcast Corp. is in negotiations to also co-produce.

Egyptian writer Khaled Al Khamissi "Taxi" will write the adaptation of the Shakespeare's classic.

Sichler was quoted as saying, "Shakespeare is an icon of European culture, Al Khamissi represents the best of a new generation of Arab writers, and Omar Sharif has been a bridge between our two worlds for half a century."

Sichler will announce in the coming weeks, the director who will take charge of shooting which will begin by the end of the year.

Brock and Calderwood reunited for Range's untitled feature

By Siewaun
Reference: Variety

Jeremy Brock and Andrea Calderwood, writer and producer team of the multiple awards winning movie "The Last King of Scotland" has reunited again to write and produce "Death of a President" British director Gabriel Range's yet untitled feature.

Based on a true happenings, the story centers on the murky world of slave trading in contemporary London.

Wunmi Mosaku "Silent Witness", Isaach De Bankole "Casino Royale", Lubna Azabal "Paradise Now", Hiam Abbass "The Visitor", Igal Naor "Munich", Nonso Anozie "Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang" and Nasser Memarzia "Kingdom of Heaven" are starring in the movie.

Calderwood is producing the feature, while Gail Egan, Liza Marshall, Katherine Butler and Range executive produce.

U.K. Film Council, Channel 4, Film Agency for Wales, Limelight and Molinare financed the project. ContentFilm is handling worldwide sales.

Shooting has already wrapped up in London, and begun on location in Kenya. It is due to complete in May 2010.

Nanni Moretti is making a new comedy, "We Have a Pope"

By Siewaun
Reference: Variety

Italian film director, producer, screenwriter and actor, Nanni Moretti "The Son's Room" is making a new movie, a comedy "We Have a Pope." He has also hired veteran 83 year-old French actor, Michel Piccoli ("le Mépris," "La belle noiseuse") to star in the lead role as Cardinal/Pope.

Piccoli will star as a cardinal who gets the jitters after being elected pope. Moretti will play the Pope's psychiatrist in the $12 million movie, as announced previously.

Moretti wrote the script with screenwriter Federica Pontremoli and Francesco Piccolo. They previously collaborated on Moretti's previous movie, "The Caiman."

Moretti's Sacher Film is in collaboration with Domenico Procacci's Fandango and French producer Jean Labadie's Le Pact to produce the movie.

Shooting is scheduled to begin in Italy next month.

Wasikowska and Fassbender in talks to join "Jane Eyre"

By Siewaun
Reference: Variety

Mia Wasikowska ("Defiance," "Alice in Wonderland") and Michael Fassbender ("300," "Hunger") are in talks to take on the lead roles in the feature adaptation of Charlotte Bronte's novel "Jane Eyre," to be directed by Cary Fukunaga "Sin nombre".

Alison Owen and Paul Trijbits of Ruby Films are producing the movie with BBC Films and and Focus Features from the script written by Moira Buffini.

The 19th century story with gothic elements is center on Jane Eyre (Wasikowska), who during her time as governess at Thornfield Manor, falls in love with her byronic employer, Edward Rochester (Fassbender).

This movie is a remake of the original "Jane Eyre" 1996 movie directed by Franco Zeffirelli, which starred William Hurt and Charlotte Gainsbourg.

Owen and Trijbits are aiming to start filming next year.

Marco T. Giordana to direct "Piazza Fontana"

By Siewaun
Reference: Variety

Riccardo Tozzi president of Italy's production company Cattleya announced that they have hired director Marco Tullio Giordana ("The Best of Youth," "Quando sei nato non puoi più nasconderti") to direct a postwar political terrorism movie "Piazza Fontana" (working title).

Italian scriptwriter duo ("The Best of Youth," "Crime Novel") are writing the script based on the true event of the Piazza Fontana massacre.

The Piazza Fontana bombing was a terrorist attack that occurred on December 12, 1969, killing 17 people and wounding 88. Three more bombs were detonated in Rome and Milan later that day. The incident which was widely rumoured to be the cooperation between the Italian secret services along with United States and Nato agencies acting via recruited neofascist agents and the false-flagging of the attack on anarchic groups. That marked the beginning of the "Strategy of Tension" (Strategia della Tensione) in Italy, which resulted in more than 1,000 attacks by 1989.

Cattleya will co-produce with RAI Cinema, which the latter will distribute locally via its 01 Distribuzione. Universal Picture is in talks to distribute the movie internationally.

Shooting is scheduled to begin in August 2010. Cast have not been announced yet.

Kjell Sundvall to make sequel of "The Hunters"

By Siewaun
Reference: Variety

Swedish director/producer Kjell Sundvall, who directed the hugely successful 1996 thriller "The Hunters" (Jägarna) is set to direct the sequel to the movie. Rolf Lassgard will reprise the role as Erik Bäckström in "The Hunters 2," and will be starring alongside Peter Stormare ("Premonition," "Horsemen").

In the sequel, policeman Erik Bäckström (Lassgard) reluctantly agrees to once again go back to the north of Sweden to solve a crime, where he confronts the local head of police (Stormare).

Sonet Films' Peter Possne will produce the sequel, in association with Bjorn Carlstrom and Per Janerus. TV4 and Filmpool Nord co-produce.

Shooting will begin in August next year for the $5 million sequel. Movie is scheduled to be release in fall 2011.

Emily Watson has gone for "Oranges and Sunshine"

By Siewaun
Reference: Benzinga

Emily Watson ("Breaking the Waves," "Synecdoche, New York") is starring alongside David Wenham "The Lord of the Rings trilogy" and Hugo Weaving ("The Matrix trilogy," "The Lord of the Rings trilogy") in Jim Loach's feature directorial debut movie "Oranges and Sunshine."

Rona Munro wrote the script based on Margaret Humphreys' book "Empty Cradles."

Based on a true story, the movie centers on Margaret Humphreys, a social worker from Nottingham, who uncovered social scandals surrounding the organized deportation of children in care from the United Kingdom to Australia. Against overwhelming odds and single-handedly, she reunited thousands of families, brought authorities to account and worldwide attention to the miscarriage of justice.

Sixteen Films' Camilla Bray is producing along with Emile Sherman and Iain Canning of See-Saw Films.

Shooting in UK has commenced in Nottingham three days ago on 21st November, and is now moving filming location to South Australia, where it is scheduled wrap up on 31st January 2010.

Joshua Jackson makes deal with "UFO"

By Siewaun
Reference: Variety

Joshua Jackson ("The Mighty Ducks" franchise, "Fringe" TV series) has signed on leading role in the feature movie adaptation of "UFO," a 70's hit British TV series created by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson.

Jackson will take on the role of Paul Foster, a test pilot who joins S.H.A.D.O. (Supreme Headquarters Alien Defense Organization), a secret international military organization built under a Hollywood studio that defends Earth against a race of aliens who have been abducting humans for their body parts.

Matthew Gratzner, a visual effects supervisor who worked on the upcoming horror thriller "Shutter Island" and previously "Iron Man" and "Hancock," will make his feature directorial debut on the movie.

Producers Avi Haas and Henri M. Kessler secured the feature rights from ITV Global, and will be collaborating with Robert Evans Company to produce the movie from script written by Ryan Gaudet and Joseph Kanarek.