Giannoli explores celebrity in Superstar

by Fabien Lemercier

24/02/2011 - Why does a man in the crowd become extraordinarily famous? This is the main plot in Xavier Giannoli’s fifth feature Superstar, which started shooting in Paris on Monday in the greatest secrecy.

The comedy-drama’s cast includes Kad Merad (Welcome to the Sticks [trailer], also to be seen in The Well-Digger’s Daughter, set for release on April 27), Belgian actress Cécile de France (who will doubtless appear on the Croisette in May in the Dardenne brothers’ The Kid With a Bike) and Louis-Do de Lencquesaing (Father of My Children [trailer, film focus]).

Selected in competition at Cannes with his previous two films (The Singer [trailer] in 2006 and In the Beginning [trailer] in 2009), Giannoli is keeping his self-scripted storyline for Superstar under wraps. He has, however, revealed that the film will be "the story of an amusing media slip-up and the human factors at play in it. It’s about the fate of a man who should never have become famous, a woman who pretends to love him and a cynic who has everything to gain from it. In short, a great time when one has no other choice but to be funny, because a mistaken piece of information and a denial make two news stories."

Superstar is produced by Edouard Weil for Rectangle Productions (who currently have, in post-production, Philippe Garrel’s That Summer – see news – and Valérie Donzelli’s Declaration of War). The film’s €10m budget includes co-production support from France 3 Cinéma and pre-acquisitions from Canal+ and Ciné Cinéma.

Shooting will take place in the Paris area until early April. French distribution and international sales will be handled by Wild Bunch.

(Translated from French)