The enormous Flemish box-office hit Loft [trailer], a fast-paced thriller about a group of men sharing the eponymous inner city location for their extramarital adventures, is currently being remade just north of the Belgian border, in the Netherlands.

Shooting started on the remake on Tuesday, and the Dutch version will be directed by Antoinette Beumer, whose The Happy Housewife [trailer] with Carice van Houten is still playing in cinemas.
Filming on the adaptation will continue through August 8 on location in Amsterdam and in Belgium, where interiors will be shot.

The original was directed by Erik van Looy and written by actor-turned-screenwriter Bart De Pauw. The Dutch screenplay is from successful female crime novelist Saskia Noort, whose own novel, The Dark House, was turned into a successful film last year.

The film’s cast, which is quite large, as it tells the story of five friends and their wives and families, includes Barry Atsma, Fedja van Huet, Jeroen van Koningsbrugge, Gijs Naber, Kim van Kooten, Hadewych Minis, Lies Visschedijk, Katja Herbers, Anna Drijver and Sallie Harmsen.

The original sold over 1.2 million tickets in Flanders, making it one of the most impressive local successes in Belgian history.

The remake is produced by Millstreet Films and Pupkin Film, in association with original producer Woestijnvis and Dutch broadcaster BNN.

Like the original, Independent Films will handle local distribution. The film is currently scheduled for a December 16 release.