11/05/2016 - CANNES 2016: The Film Market has got off to a flying start with the projects You Were Never Really Here by Lynne Ramsay and Kings by Deniz Gamze Ergüven

On the first day of the Film Market of the 69th Cannes Film Festival, France’s international sales agents have made several announcements. Leading the pack, European mini-major Wild Bunch continued to make a strong impact by adding You Were Never Really Here [+see also:
film review
trailer
Q&A: Lynne Ramsay
film profile] by Scottish director Lynne Ramsay (in competition at Cannes in 2011 with We Need to Talk About Kevin [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Lynne Ramsay
film profile]) to its slate (read the article), which is toplined by Joaquin Phoenix, in addition to Kings [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] by Deniz Gamze Ergüven (who rose to fame on the Croisette last year with Mustang [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Deniz Gamze Ergüven
film profile], which was nominated for the 2016 Oscar for Best Foreign-language Film), with Halle Berry in the lead role. Wild Bunch will be selling these two titles through its Los Angeles-based US company Insiders, which was created last year. You Were Never Really Here will be produced by French outfit Why Not Productions; it will depict the misfortunes of a war veteran who has become an expert in rescuing prostitutes ensnared by human traffickers, and who comes face to face with some dangerously hostile forces in Manhattan. Meanwhile, Kings will be produced by CG Cinéma and will revolve around a housewife living in South Central Los Angeles at the moment when the riots break out after the LA Police Department beat up Rodney King.

For its part, StudioCanal has kicked off the pre-sales for the British production Paddington 2 by Paul King, which will enter production in October, after the first instalment grossed almost $270 million in takings worldwide.

MK2 has also added four projects to its line-up (read the article), with the documentary Faithfull by Sandrine Bonnaire (produced by Cinétévé with backing from Arte, taking a look back at the famous singer’s career), The House by the Sea by Robert Guédiguian (a loose adaptation of The Cherry Orchard by Anton Chekhov, starring Ariane Ascaride, Jean-Pierre Darroussin, Gérard Meylan, Anaïs Demoustier and Robinson Stévenin – produced by Agat Films) and two feature debuts: The Nature of Time by Karim Moussaoui (executive-produced by Algeria, co-produced by Les Films Pelléas and Arte France Cinéma) and the Italian-French co-production Look Up (Guarda In Alto – read the news) by Fulvio Risuleo (produced by Revok Film together with Cineorama). 

Lastly, SBS International (read the news) has announced that it is developing a new film with Paul Verhoeven, entitled Lyon 1943. Incidentally, the French production and sales company and the Dutch filmmaker are on the line-up of the Cannes competition this year with Elle [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile].

(Translated from French)