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Studiocanal has scored a raft of international sales on its Cannes film market highlights, including “Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom,” “Les Miserables” and “Violette,” directed by “Amelie” filmmaker Jean-Pierre Jeunet.

Aardman’s “Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom” follows the studio’s third stop-motion animated feature film in the “Shaun the Sheep” franchise, following the BAFTA and Oscar-nominated “Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon” and “Shaun the Sheep Movie.” The latter turned out to be one of the highest-grossing animated films of 2015.”

Studiocanal has pre-sold “Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom” in major territories, including Japan (“Shochiku”), Hong Kong (Edko), Italy (Lucky Red), Scandinavia (Scanbox), Israel (Lev) and Middle East (Salim Ramia), among others. Other territories closed include Airlines (Echo Lake), Baltics (Acme), Czech Republic & Slovakia (Bohemia), Ex Yugoslavia (Blitz), Greece (Spentzos), Hungary (Mozinet), Middle East (Salim Ramia), Portugal ( Lusomundo), Romania (Bad Unicorn), Singapore...

“Amelie” director Jean-Pierre Jeunet has assembled a high-profile international cast for his next film, “Violette,” based on Valérie Perrin’s literary sensation “Fresh Water for Flowers” (“Changer l’eau des fleurs”), which sold over 3 million copies worldwide.

Matthias Schoenaerts (“Rust and Bone”), Melvil Poupaud (“Jeanne du Barry”), Anouk Grinberg (“The Innocent”), Sergio Castellitto (“Conclave”) and Alban Lenoir (“Lost Bullet”) have joined the cast and will star opposite Cesar-winning French actor Leila Bekhti, who was previously announced.

“Violette” is produced by Carlo Degli Esposti and Nicola Serra at Palomar, and Thibault Gast and Matthias Weber at 24 25 Films. Both companies are owned by Mediawan. The production kicked off on May 5 for a 13-week shoot across Burgundy, the Paris region, and the South of France.

Co-written by Jeunet and Guillaume Laurant, “Violette” sees Bekhti play Violette Toussaint, a beloved cemetery caretaker whose peaceful life – filled by conversations with quirky workers and the...

Dark Star Pictures has swooped in to acquire North American rights to “Heads or Fails,” the sophomore feature from Belgian directing duo Harpo and Lenny Guit. The deal marks a continued partnership between the indie distributor and the Guit brothers, whose midnight sensation “Mother Schmuckers” made waves at Sundance 2021.

The acquisition was finalized between Dark Star Pictures president Michael Repsch and Best Friend Forever co-founder Charles Bin.

Fresh off its world premiere at last year’s Fantastic Fest, where it earned critical acclaim, “Heads or Fails” follows Armande Pigeon, Brussels’ reigning queen of misfortune. Unable to resist a bet, she finds herself perpetually on the wrong side of Lady Luck – until a fateful night when she joins forces with Ronnie, leading to an unprecedented winning streak that tests their judgment.

The comedy features a stellar ensemble including Maria Cavalier-Bazan in the lead, alongside “Mother Schmuckers” alums Axel Perin and Maxi Delmelle.

French filmmaker Rebecca Zlotowski, who’s just wrapped filming of “Vie Privée” starring Jodie Foster in Paris, received the French Cinema Award at a jam-packed ceremony held in an ornate room of the Ministry of Culture on Jan. 16.

The tribute, which is given by the film promotion body Unifrance, was introduced by Gaëtan Bruel, chief of staff of Rachida Dati, the minister of culture, as well as Unifrance president Gilles Pelisson and managing director Daniela Elstner.

Created in 2016, the French Cinema Award honors actors, filmmakers and producers who have contributed to making French cinema shine abroad. Past recipients include actors Juliette Binoche, Virginie Efira and Melvil Poupaud, director Olivier Assayas and producers Aton Soumache and Dimitri Rassam, among others.

Zlotowski, who is perfectly bilingual and has worked with a number of international talent, from Natalie Portman to Lily Rose-Depp and more recently Foster, has been actively promoting each movie she...

Exclusive: In keeping with its start-of-the-year tradition, Goodfellas has rolled out the bulk of its French-language slate for 2025 ahead of the Unifrance Rendez-Vous in Paris next week, and it’s a hot one.

The line-up features fresh additions An Affair by Arnaud Desplechin and Prime Rush by Carlos Abascal Peiró as well as half a dozen pictures that we expect to see at Cannes or Venice later this year.

An Affair marks a new chapter for Desplechin after achieving closure in 2024 with his long-running character of Paul Dédalus through Cannes-selected drama Filmlovers!, which hits French cinemas for Les Films du Losange next week.

New movie An Affair sees Desplechin collaborate with rising French stars François Civil (Beating Hearts) and Nadia Tereszkiewicz (The Crime is Mine) for the first time, in a cast also featuring Charlotte Rampling and Hippolyte Girardot.

Civil plays a pianist who returns to France after a long...

Each week we highlight the noteworthy titles that have recently hit streaming platforms in the United States. Check out this week’s selections below and past round-ups here.

The Dead Don’t Hurt (Viggo Mortensen)

Though The Dead Don’t Hurt gradually becomes Vivienne’s story as Holger disappears to fight, his presence still defines the film in strange ways. While Mortensen certainly looks younger than 65 and I’m not one of those people who busts out a calculator to determine what is or isn’t an appropriate age-gap relationship, Mortensen casting himself opposite Krieps in the romantic (even action hero) lead role he’s clearly too old for (beyond maybe financing requirements) reeks of ego. Maybe this wouldn’t matter as much if he dramatized these proceedings in a way more compelling than just its interesting conceptual ideas of immigrants in the west going through the passage of time together.

French directors Benoit Jacquot and Jacques Doillon (“The Little Gangster”) were summoned by police on July 1 for questioning in connection with complaints filed by actor Judith Godreche on Feb. 8.

The two directors were taken in custody by the Juvenile Protection Brigade, according to the Afp.

Godrèche lodged a rape complaint against Jacquot and accused him of “predation” and “violent rape of a minor under 15 years old committed by a person in authority.” She met Jacquot in 1986, when she was 14 years old (the director was then 39) on the set of his movie “Les Mendiants,” and began a relationship with him which went on for six years. She also starred in his 1990 film “La Desenchantée.” The offences were alleged to have taken place between 1986 and 1992. Jacquot has denied all of Godrèche’s accusations.

The director’s attorney, Julia Minkowski, told Variety that Benoît Jacquot “had requested to be heard since the beginning of the investigation.

Stylistic choices in Just the Two of Us add depth and timelessness to the story, making its tense tale of an abusive relationship more universal. The central performances by Efira and Poupaud carry the film, highlighting the progression of their relationship. The film aims to raise awareness about abusive relationships, although questions arise about the depiction of violence against women in cinema.

Just the Two of Us is like The Worst Person in the World's darksided twin. With stylistic similarities and both depicting a whirlwind romance, it seems like Just the Two of Us will follow a similar path until it veers off into something altogether more sinister. Here, our protagonist, Blanche (Virginie Efira), lives in Normandy with her mother and twin sister before meeting Grgoire (Melvil Poupaud) and beginning an intense relationship. It's not long before Blanche and Grgoire are expecting a baby and his job requires them to move far from home,...

When Blanche (Virginie Efira) and Gregoire (Melvil Poupaud) serendipitously meet at a summer house party, they fall into the kind of seemingly perfect love that you’d never believe was possible unless you had experienced it yourself. She’s a French literature teacher who has grown tired of waiting for her soulmate to arrive, and he’s the tall, handsome stranger who just so happens to be ready to discuss Camus and Molière for hours on end. They laugh at the same jokes, have earth-shattering sex, and create the kind of shared language that forms when a couple shares their most intimate experiences. It isn’t long before a summer of love leads to an engagement ring and a baby on the way.

The elegance with which “Just the Two of Us” director Valérie Donzelli shoots their whirlwind romance only makes it more jarring when, 20 minutes into the film, we...

A seemingly blissful union rapidly crumbles in Valérie Donzelli’s Just the Two of Us, a domestic abuse-drama presented as a harrowing-if-simplified psychological thriller from which escape seems near-hopeless. It’s impossible for Virginie Efira and Melvil Poupaud to give a bad performance; this drama certainly doesn’t break the streak. Yet Donzelli and Audrey Diwan’s black-and-white, overworked script is missing the kind of nuance each lead exudes in their physicality as they navigate a suffocating relationship where the smallest action or word can unleash a monster.

As one might expect, the monster in this case is Grégoire (Poupaud), a suave charmer who first romances Rose at a party. Blinded by love, she excuses some warning signs: Grégoire leaving with no explanation after their first night together and a dig at his general distaste for bangs when she sports them. After an unexpected pregnancy, the two get married and jet off to the countryside,...

The romantic thriller, “Just The Two Of Us”, directed by Valerie Donzelli, stars Virginie Efira and Melvil Poupaud, opening June 14, 2024 in a limited theatrical release:

“…when ‘Blanche’ (Efira) meets ‘Gregoire’ (Poupaud) at a party her twin sister ‘Rose’ drags her to, she thinks she has found ‘the one’.

“The ties that bind them grow quickly, and a passionate affair ensues. Rose has serious reservations about Gregoire, but against her better judgment, they decide to marry and move in together…”

Click the images to enlarge…...

Having sprinkled his films in the competition section twice before with Les chansons d’amour (2007) and Sorry Angel (2018), Christophe Honoré has also populated the fest with Un Certain Regard, Out of Comp and Directors’ Fortnight offerings. With Marcello Mio, the filmmaker reunites with his muse Chiara Mastroianni and they both honor who else but her famous actor dad and what is kinda meta level is that her mom Catherine Deneuve and other famous faces in Fabrice Luchini, Nicole Garcia, Benjamin Biolay, Melvil Poupaud all play version of themselves.

Gist: This is the story of a woman named Chiara. She is an actress, the daughter of Marcello Mastroianni and Catherine Deneuve.…...

Now a Cannes veteran, French filmmaker Christophe Honoré has returned to the Competition with the world premiere of Marcello Mio, his French-Italian comedy that stars longtime collaborator Chiara Mastroianni — who, in the film, adopts the persona and appearance of her late father, Marcello Mastroianni. The movie received applause that lasted a touch over eight minutes during its unveiling this evening.

Marcello Mio taps into the younger Mastroianni’s complex reality of being the daughter of cinema icons Marcello Mastroianni and Catherine Deneuve.

In a fantasy scenario, Chiara hits a crisis point and begins to dress, speak and breathe like her late father, the legendary star of such films as La Dolce Vita, 81/2 and Marriage Italian Style. Those around her, including Deneuve, Fabrice Luchini, Melvil Poupaud, Benjamin Biolay, Nicole Garica and Hugh Skinner, who also play part-real, part-fictionalized versions of themselves in Marcello Mio, begin to believe it and start to call her “Marcello.

Celebrities: they’re not just like us, exactly, but they’re human just the same. Which is why some of the current discourse around “nepo babies” must be a little wounding for showbiz scions nursing their own insecurities about their talent, their reputation and their place in the world — even if the prudent thing to do, from a PR perspective, is to openly check your privilege and move on. Yet whatever degree of sympathy one might feel for actor Chiara Mastroianni — the daughter of Catherine Deneuve and Marcello Mastroianni, a dazzling legacy to bear but perhaps not an easy one — largely evaporates by the end of “Marcello Mio,” a vastly indulgent but gossamer-weight bit of frippery from French writer-director Christophe Honoré, in which Mastroianni channels her late father to increasingly contrived comic effect.

So wink-wink it can barely see straight, so inside-baseball it’s practically buried under the pitcher’s mound,...

Of all the actors with claims to nepo baby aristocracy, few, if any, have the same pedigree as Chiara Mastroianni. An accomplished performer and winning star all on her own, the daughter of Catherine Deneuve and Marcello Mastroianni has that rare distinction of seeing both of her parents grace Cannes Film Festival posters, leaving a project that playfully interrogates that very heritage a near shoo-in for the festival spotlight. But that vaunted competition slot does little favors for Christophe Honoré’s slight and sketch-like “Marcello Mio,” which plays as an incisive photo-shoot concept in search of wider justification.

This fashion shoot concept isn’t hypothetical, as Honoré’s meta-movie doodle opens on the very same, finding Mastroianni decked out in full Anita Ekberg garb as she saunters into a pool before Paris’ Saint-Sulpice church reformatted as an ersatz Trevi Fountain. The visual folds in several layers, taking Marcello’s iconic turn in “La Dolce Vita,...

Your browser does not support the video tag. Jeanne du Barry, starring Johnny Depp, is a lush period romance set in 18th century France and hits theaters May 2. The film follows Jeanne's rise from the working class to becoming King Louis Xv's mistress, sparking scandal at the royal court. The film is a comeback of sorts for Johnny Depp, who will next be directing a movie about the great artist Modigliani, titled Modi.

Jeanne du Barry, Johnny Depp's first movie in four years, is set to release in theaters on May 2, and we have an exclusive sneak peek. The film, directed by Mawenn (who plays the titular Madame du Barry), is a lush period romance set in France during the reign of King Louis Xv (Depp) in the mid-to-late 18th century. In the clip (which you can watch above), Louis Xv is warned that his public affection for Jeanne,...

Jeanne du Barry is a regal visual feast thanks Mawenn's keen direction. Mawenn and Johnny Depp have a genuine chemistry and portray a distinct love in quiet, subtle ways. The portraits of Jeanne, Louis Xv, and other people may be a bit one-dimensional and ahistorical, but Jeanne du Barry has impressive themes and gorgeous visuals nonetheless.

Jeanne du Barry is a film of gestures and glances, not sweeping monologues and action. It has some of the court intrigue found in titles like The Other Boleyn Girl, The Madness of King George, and Dangerous Liaisons, but ultimately isn't too interested in the backroom wheeling and dealing of monarchic power players. As the title implies, the film is a biography of Jeanne Bcu, who would become Madame du Barry, and mostly focuses on her time at Versailles as the chief mistress of King Louis Xv.

Jeanne du Barry offers a gorgeous look...

Mawenn clarified that when she called Johnny Depp "scary," she meant his impressive charisma and star status, not negative intimidation. She admires Depp's talent, comparing him to Marlon Brando for his genius, sufferings, generosity, and paradoxes, despite any on-set arguments. Depp himself is critical of big budget movies, indicating his desire to distance himself from franchises and pursue more independent projects.

Jeanne du Barry director Mawenn has clarified comments made about scary Johnny Depp in an interview with The Independent last week, slamming the tabloid for not grasping the subtlety of her view of the actor. In the interview at the time, the French director and star of the movie noted that the crew were afraid of Depp, and he would frequently attempt to rewrite parts of the script. However, speaking to Variety, Mawenn dismissed the way the interview had been interpreted, and shared her disappointment at the way the article was written.

Maïwenn’s Jeanne du Barry is a work without a unifying thesis. Born Jeanne Bécu in 1743, Louis Xv’s favorite mistress (played as an adult by Maïwenn herself) was a courtesan who was elevated to a countess, and to the scandalized horror of the French court. At first, the film seems primed to deliver a send-up of courtly ritual and hypocritical noble decorum, à la Sofia Coppola’s Marie Antoinette. But like the real Countess du Barry, it’s eventually caught up in the very pomp and splendor that it initially lampoons.

It’s in that initial, comical examination of court etiquette that Maïwenn’s film is at its strongest. When Jeanne, a courtesan favored by aristocrats who take her along to court, arrives at Versailles and is offered like livestock to Louis Xv (Johnny Depp), we see through her eyes how the palace has turned every single action into...

"Jeanne du Barry", set in France 1768, is directed by Maïwenn, starring Johnny Depp, Maïwenn, Melvil Poupaud and Pierre Richard, releasing May 2, 2024 in theaters:

“…the film follows the life of ‘Jeanne Bécu’ (Maïwenn), who was born as the illegitimate daughter of an impoverished seamstress in 1743…

“…and went on to rise through the Court of Louis Xv (Depp)...

"...to become his last official mistress…”

Click the images to enlarge…...

Big-budget movies could be a thing of the past for Johnny Depp, who now prefers intimate projects with substance over Hollywood blockbusters. Depp's unique perspective on fame and fortune shapes his approach to life and career, making him a far cry from ordinary. Jeanne du Barry marks Depp's return to the big screen after a tumultuous period, emphasizing his preference for smaller projects.

Johnny Depp may have ruled himself out of ever returning to the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise – even if there were to be an offer on the table in the future – after blasting Hollywood’s obsession with big-budget “dreck” that audiences just don’t want to see anymore. Depp’s comments came as he promotes his upcoming movie, Jeanne du Barry, a film that certainly doesn’t come with the multi-million-dollar spend of some of his previous films, but does, more importantly, signal his first movie release...

Maïwenn faced challenges working with Depp due to script interference and tardiness, affecting the production of the historical drama. Depp's unpredictable on-set behavior raised concerns among the crew, creating a tense working environment during the filming. Despite struggling with their working relationship, Maïwenn and Depp managed to use the tension to create a more genuine on-screen dynamic.

French filmmaker Maïwenn has openly shared her experiences directing Johnny Depp in the historical drama Jeanne du Barry, candidly addressing the issues she faced due to Depp’s script interference, tardiness and general on-set presence. The film is the first movie to feature Depp since his legal battle with Amber Heard in 2022. In an interview with The Independent, Maïwenn delved into the complexities of working with Depp, who portrayed Louis Xv in the movie that became a big controversy at the Cannes Film Festival.

Maïwenn, who has become known for not playing it safe in her creative choices,...

Johnny Depp has been on the longest hiatus of his career ever since making it in Hollywood. Even with his defamation case with Amber Heard having settled, fans wondered just when he would step in front of the camera again. That came at last year’s Cannes Film Festival, when Depp and director Maïwenn unveiled Jeanne du Barry, the actor’s first film since 2020’s Minimata. Now, Depp is giving due credit to his director for standing by his side and giving him the chance that even some of his closest collaborators were hesitant to.

Posting on Instagram, Depp shared a photo from a red carpet event for Jeanne du Barry – in which he plays Louis Xv – along with the following caption: “Endlessly grateful to the incomparable Maïwenn for choosing me as her King of France in ‘Jeanne du Barry’. Now playing across the UK & Ireland. Jd.X”

While we...

Bill Maher welcomed Katie Couric onto his “Club Random” podcast and passionately defended Woody Allen while the two discussed canceled artists in Hollywood. Maher said “I don’t think he committed that crime” in reference to Dylan Farrow’s molestation allegation against Allen, adding: “There was two police investigations that exonerated him.”

“There’s these actors who won’t work with him anymore and some of them made movies with him are saying, ‘I regret doing that.’ What a bunch of pussies!” Maher said. “First of all, it’s a very improbable crime that they’re accusing him of. Plainly, the other party had motivation and [was] vindictive.”

Maher referenced the HBO documentary “Allen v. Farrow” and said it was all from Mia Farrow’s point of view, alluding that it can’t fully be trusted as an unbiased account of what allegedly happened between Woody Allen and his adopted daughter,...

Iconic director Woody Allen may retire from his career, noting that the film industry is not appealing to him anymore.

“The business has changed, and not in an appealing way,” Allen told AirMail. All the romance of filmmaking is gone.”

Allen struggled to find a North American distributor for his most recent film, Coup de Chance. The French thriller/romance film, starring French actors Lou de Laâge and Melvil Poupaud, premiered at the Venice International Film Festival in September 2023.

On the red carpet, Allen was booed by people in attendance, including the press and fans. The film was not released in U.S. theaters after the HBO docuseries Allen v. Farrow aired. The docuseries covers the numerous sexual abuse allegations against Allen, including the incident between Allen, ex-partner Mia Farrow and Farrow’s adoptive daughter Soon Yi Previn.

Allen was also accused of sexual abuse by his stepdaughter, Dylan Farrow.

After a prolific career spanning 58 years and encompassing 50 feature films, Woody Allen finds himself at a crossroads, contemplating whether his latest venture, Coup de chance, will signal the end of his cinematic journey. His latest venture is a comedy-drama thriller film, which he wrote and was released on 27 September 2023 in France.

In an exclusive interview with AirMail, the controversial filmmaker disclosed his uncertainty regarding his future in the industry. "I'm on the fence about it," Allen shared when asked if Coup de chance, an enticing erotic thriller shot in France with French-speaking actors, would mark his cinematic swan song. "I don’t want to have to go out to raise money. I find that a pain in the neck," he admitted, highlighting the challenges of funding independent projects. However, Allen also acknowledged that if a benefactor were to step forward, his myriad of creative ideas might lead him back to the director's chair once again.

Vertical has unleashed a brand new U.S. trailer for the historical drama ‘Jeanne du Barry’ starring Johnny Depp.

The French-language film, set in the 18th century, tells the story of Jeanne Bécu (Maïwenn), the daughter of an impoverished seamstress who rose through the Court of King Louis Xv (played by Depp) and became his last official mistress.

Jeanne Vaubernier, a young working-class woman hungry for culture and pleasure, uses her intelligence and allure to climb the rungs of the social ladder one by one. She becomes the favourite of King Louis Xv who, unaware of her status as a courtesan, regains through her his appetite for life. They fall madly in love. Against all propriety and etiquette, Jeanne moves to Versailles, where her arrival scandalizes the court.

Directed by French actress and filmmaker Maïwenn (whose films include “DNA” and “My King”), the movie also stars Benjamin Lavernhe, Melvil Poupaud,...

"Jeanne du Barry", set in France 1768, is directed by Maïwenn, starring Johnny Depp, Maïwenn, Melvil Poupaud and Pierre Richard, releasing May 2, 2024 in theaters:

“…the film follows the life of ‘Jeanne Bécu’ (Maïwenn), who was born as the illegitimate daughter of an impoverished seamstress in 1743…

“…and went on to rise through the Court of Louis Xv (Depp)...

"...to become his last official mistress…”

Click the images to enlarge…...

"You're in danger, Madame." Vertical has unveiled an official US trailer for Maïwenn's Jeanne du Barry, which is finally getting a theatrical release in he US one full year after it premiered at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival last May. It already opened in France the same week as its Cannes premiere, but hasn't shown up in the US until now. In this film, Jeanne Vaubernier, a young working-class woman hungry for culture and pleasure, uses her intelligence and her allure to climb the rungs of the social ladder one by one. She becomes the favorite of King Louis Xv who, unaware of her status as courtesan, regains through her his appetite for life. They fall madly in love. Against all propriety and etiquette, Jeanne moves to Versailles, where her arrival scandalizes the court... The film also stars Maïwenn as Jeanne, plus Johnny Depp as King Louis Xv, along with Benjamin Lavernhe,...

Jeanne du Barry features Johnny Depp as Louis Xv in a scandalous period drama set in 18th century France. The film has received mixed reviews, with critics praising Depp's performance and the lavish costumes and visuals. Despite initial critical reception, Jeanne du Barry has been a success at the box office in France, hinting at Depp's comeback.

A new trailer for Johnny Depp’s comeback film, Jeanne du Barry, is now live. Directed by Maïwenn, Jeanne du Barry is a period piece that takes place in France in the 18th century and depicts the affair between the titular character and King Louis Xv. Depp plays Louis Xv and Maïwenn plays the titular role, and the rest of the cast consists of stars like Pascal Greggory, Pierre Richard, Benjamin Lavernhe, India Hair, and Pauline Pollmann as Marie Antoinette. The period movie is expected to be released in the U.S. on...

Fathom Events and Vertical Entertainment have released the official trailer for Jeanne du Barry, the period drama written, directed, and produced by Maïwenn and starring herself and Johnny Depp.

Jeanne du Barry follows Jeanne Vaubernier (Maïwenn), a working-class woman determined to climb the social ladder. She uses her charms to escape her impoverished life.

Her lover, the Comte du Barry (Melvil Poupaud), wishes to present her to King Louis Xv and orchestrates a meeting through the influential Duke of Richelieu (Pierre Richard).

The encounter goes far beyond his expectations, for it was love at first sight for the King and Jeanne. Through this ravishing courtesan, the king rediscovers his appetite for life and feels he can no longer live without her. Making Jeanne his last official mistress, scandal erupts as no one at Court will accept a girl from the streets into their rarified world.

The French-language film was written by Maïwenn,...

Fluff your powdered wig and fill your snuffbox because a trailer for French filmmaker Maïwenn’s Jeanne Du Barry is here to give you a front-row seat to one of history’s most notorious scandals. The lavish footage depicts Johnny Depp as Louis Xv and Maïwenn Besco as Jeanne Vaubernier, a woman willing to give a gloved middle finger to tradition to rise through society’s ranks. Decadent, scandalous, and filled with more drama than a season of Bridgerton, today’s Jeanne Du Barry trailer highlights Depp’s first significant feature since his public court battle with his ex-wife Amber Heard.

Here’s the official synopsis for Jeanne Du Barry:

“Jeanne du Barry follows Jeanne Vaubernier (Maïwenn), a working-class woman determined to climb the social ladder, using her charms to escape her impoverished life. Her lover, the Comte du Barry (Melvil Poupaud), wishes to present her to King Louis Xv...

Johnny Depp's comeback film Jeanne du Barry now has a trailer and will make US theatrical debut May 2. The film chronicles the story of a peasant courtesan rising through King Louis Xv's court, captivating audiences worldwide. Depp gains momentum after his legal battles in an acting comeback, with new projects like directing Modì and a rumored role as Satan.

The comeback movie of Hollywood A-lister Johnny Depp, Jeanne du Barry, has now been given a theatrical release date in the United States courtesy of Fathom Events and Vertical, along with a trailer you can watch above. They have partnered to bring the Cannes Opening Night sensation Jeanne du Barry, which stars Johnny Depp and Maïwenn in the lead roles, to audiences nationwide with an exclusive theatrical engagement in over 500 theaters beginning May 2nd. Based on true events chronicling a peasant woman’s meteoric rise through the Court of King Louis Xv,...

Johnny Depp is back on the big screen with “Jeanne du Barry.”

Helmed by co-writer/director/producer/star Maïwenn, the 18th-century-set drama follows the ill-fated romance between King Louis Xv (Depp) and Jeanne Vaubernier (Maïwenn), a working-class woman determined to climb the social ladder. Jeanne’s lover, the Comte du Barry (Melvil Poupaud), presents her to King Louis Xv (Depp) through the influential Duke of Richelieu (Pierre Richard). The meeting turns into an affair, and Jeanne becomes the King’s last official mistress. Scandal erupts as no one at Court will accept a girl from the streets into their rarified world.

Benjamin Lavernhe and Pascal Greggory also star, with Pauline Pollmann portraying Marie-Antoinette in the feature that opened the 2023 Cannes Film Festival.

“Jeanne du Barry” was also written by Teddy Lussi-Modeste and Nicolas Livecchi. The film is produced by Pascal Caucheteux and Grégoire Sorlat.

The feature was acquired by Vertical...

Woody Allen’s Coup de Chance starts appropriately with a random encounter and finishes with an out-of-nowhere intervention. But what lies in between those moments of chance is tightly scripted and purposeful, with barely a scene or line out of place. The film is at once among Allen’s most economical works and one of his most free-spirited.

When Alain (Niels Schneider), a fiction writer, runs into Fanny (Lou de Laâge) on a Parisian street near the art auction house where the latter works, it’s a seemingly fleeting moment. Fanny seems charmed but not overly impacted by this encounter with Alain, a passing acquaintance from their time at the Lycée Français in New York. Slightly restless in her marriage to Jean (Melvil Poupaud), a financier whose one-percenter friends describe her as a “trophy wife,” Fanny sees no harm in reconnecting with Alain. You can imagine where this might go.

Of the many politically-tinged projects premiering at this year’s Series Mania, French thriller “In the Shadows” could very well claim the best pedigree.

While showrunner Pierre Schoeller has spent a career tracing his country’s corridors of power through films like “Versailles” and “The Minister,” he found a most opportune creative partner working with politician Edouard Philippe to adapt the latter’s 2011 novel.

Perhaps the name rings a bell. When Philippe published his eponymous novel more than a decade ago, he was a small city mayor running for a seat in France’s National Assembly. By the time he signed on to co-write this small screen adaptation in 2020, Philippe was coming off three years as French Prime Minister – while planting the seeds for an anticipated presidential run of his own in 2027.

Only don’t expect “In the Shadows” to mirror Philippe’s own ascension – or that of any one political figure,...

French public broadcaster France Televisions has commissioned a raft of new scripted shows, including “Lucky Luke,” an adaptation of the cult graphic novel, and “Rallye 82,” a 1982-set female-led racing show.

“Lucky Luke” is an adventure comedy directed by Benjamin Rocher and penned by Mathieu Leblanc and Thomas Mansuy, based on the “Lucky Luke” comicbook. The eight-part half-hour series is produced by Geraldine Gendre and Lionel Uzan at Federation Studios, and co-produced by Rémi Préchac and Julien Vallespi at Un pour tous productions, and Alban Lenoir at Homerun. Lenoir, the French star of Netflix’s action thriller series “Lost Bullet,” will play Lucky Luke.

“Rallye 82,” directed by Julien Lacombe (“Missions”), takes place during the racing championship in 1982, where Michele Mouton, the only female pilot, beats the odds and wins the race. The script was penned by Lacombe and Haiga Jappain. Producers are Raphael Rocher and Eric Laroche at Empreinte Digitale.

The...

Roll up, roll up for Part 2 of our Cannes Film Festival preview, this time with a focus on international, mainly non-English-language fare. If you didn’t catch Andreas’ English-language-focused Part 1, check it out.

As the fest basks in the warm glow of the Oscar wins for 2023 Palme d’Or winner Anatomy of a Fall and Grand Jury Prize winner The Zone of Interest, delegate general Thierry Frémaux and his team are furiously tying up the 2024 Official Selection.

With less than four weeks to go until the bulk of the 77th edition (running May 14-25) is revealed at the press conference in Paris on April 11, we’ve rounded up a host of the titles ready and in the running for a splash in either Official Selection or the main parallel sections of Directors’ Fortnight and Critics’ Week.

The registration deadline was March 15, with March 22 the official cut-off for submissions to arrive...

Exclusive: More citizens will head to the polls this year for elections than any other in history, and the political fever has reached Series Mania.

This year’s event in Lille, France contains four political dramas in competition — not surprising given almost 50% of the world will vote for new leaders in more than 64 elections (including the European Union), according to Time magazine.

“It is all things political in 2024,” said Leona Connell, Chief Commercial Officer at Newen Connect, the sales arm of TF1 Group’ owned French sales house’s Newen Studios that will representing two of the highest profile political titles at Series Mania, In the Shadows and 8 Months.

In the Shadows (Dans L’Ombre) comes from Versailles and Rembrandt director Pierre Schoeller, who adapted a novel from former French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe and Gilles Boyer, a political insider who served as Philippe’s advisor.

The series stars Swann Arlaud as...

David Thion, the French producer of Justine Triet’s best picture contender “Anatomy of a Fall,” is preparing a raft of projects helmed by daring female directors including Charline Bourgeois-Tacquet (“Anais in Love”) and Emily Atef (“More Than Ever”).

Speaking to Variety ahead of the Oscars, Thion said he and Marie-Ange Luciani, who also produced “Anatomy of a Fall,” have also signed Triet for her next movie, the topic of which hasn’t been decided yet.

“Justine has devoted herself fully to the awards campaign for ‘Anatomy of a Fall’ and she hasn’t had time to decide what her next film will be, but she has a few ideas,” Thion said. He added that Triet’s next film will likely be “mainly shot in French, but could have an Anglo-Saxon actress as the lead.”

Bourgeois-Tacquet, who made her feature debut with “Anais in Love,” which premiered at Cannes’ Critics Week,...

Jeanne Du Barry starring Johnny Depp (Photo Credit – IMDb)

The last film Johnny Depp starred in was W Eugene Smith’s Minamata. In 2022, the actor was busy with the court trial in a defamation case filed against his ex-wife, Amber Heard. The trial lasted six weeks, and Johnny won a defamation suit. Depp has been absent from movies since then. Well, his film Jeanne Du Barry is all set to release in theatres soon.

Jeanne Du Barry is cited as Johnny Depp’s comeback film after his trial ended. He has had no release for three years now. On the other hand, Amber Heard was last seen in Aquaman 2 (2023). Depp’s film was premiered during the opening of the 2023 Cannes Film Festival. The Depp starrer has not got a US release date. Read more details about the same below.

Jeanne Du Barry Cast

The film stars Johnny Depp as Louis Xv,...

Iceland’s Stockfish Film Festival has announced a new prize, the Eva Maria Daniels Award for Vital Filmmaking, which honors the legacy of the Icelandic filmmaker who died last year. With the support of Daniels’ partner Moritz Diller and son Henry, the festival will honor one standout producer or director in the shorts categories will receive the inaugural award commemorating her achievements and continued contributions to Iceland’s next wave of filmmakers. The prize includes a $1.5 million Icelandic krona award.

Daniels’ credits include “Reality” and “Joe Bell.” The 10th edition of the festival runs April 4-14.

“Eva’s approach to producing was to listen and support undeniable talent,” said her producing partner, Riva Marker, who will oversee the prize committee. “We will never know all the beautiful stories she would bring to audiences, but we’re honored to create an inaugural award endowed to storytellers that we believe Eva would have championed.

Johnny Depp's comeback film "Jeanne du Barry" will make US theatrical debut. The film chronicles the story of a peasant courtesan rising through King Louis Xv's court, captivating audiences worldwide. Depp gains momentum post-legal battles in acting comeback with new projects like directing Modì and rumored Satan role.

The comeback movie of Hollywood A-lister Johnny Depp, Jeanne du Barry, has now been given a theatrical release date in the United States courtesy of Fathom Events and Vertical. They have partnered to bring the Cannes Opening Night sensation Jeanne du Barry, which stars Johnny Depp and Maïwenn in the lead roles, to audiences nationwide with an exclusive theatrical engagement in over 500 theaters beginning May 2nd. Based on true events chronicling a peasant woman’s meteoric rise through the Court of King Louis Xv, the film received a 7-minute standing ovation after its opening night world premiere at the 76th Cannes Film Festival.

The Johnny Depp film “Jeanne du Barry” from director and star (and producer and co-writer) Maïwenn will open in U.S. theaters on May 2 as part of a special engagement via Fathom Events and distributor Vertical.

The film will open exclusively in more than 500 U.S. theaters on May 2, 2024, with the possibility that the film could run longer than its “limited” engagement if it’s a success. The first big theatrical release of May 2024 is 20th Century’s “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes,” which will command many more screens beginning May 10.

“Jeanne du Barry” was the opening night film at last year’s Cannes Film Festival and was a modest box office hit, grossing $13 million outside of the states. Vertical picked it up last June but has yet to release it here.

With more than 500 screens in tow, the movie will be the widest opening for Depp in the U.

The César Awards are always the biggest night of the year for French cinema, but the massive award season impact of “Anatomy of a Fall” ensured that this year’s event took on additional importance for Oscar watchers around the globe. When the 49th César Awards took place in Paris on Friday night, all eyes were on Justine Triet and her Palme d’Or-winning film.

Predictably, “Anatomy of a Fall” swept many of the night’s biggest categories. In addition to winning the top prize of Best Film, Triet was honored with Best Director and shared Best Screenplay with her partner Arthur Harari. Stars Sandra Hüller and Swann Arlaud also won Best Actress and Best Supporting Actor, respectively.

The night’s other big winner was Thomas Cailley’s “The Animal Kingdom,” which won awards for Cinematography, Visual Effects, Costume Design, and Sound.

Keep reading for a complete list of winners from the 2024 César Awards.

A first-look trailer has dropped for the historical drama ‘Jeanne du Barry’ starring Johnny Depp, and we have an exclusive look at both the trailer and these two new posters for the film.

The French-language film, set in the 18th century, tells the story of Jeanne Bécu (Maïwenn), the daughter of an impoverished seamstress who rose through the Court of King Louis Xv (played by Depp) and became his last official mistress.

Jeanne Vaubernier, a young working-class woman hungry for culture and pleasure, uses her intelligence and allure to climb the rungs of the social ladder one by one. She becomes the favourite of King Louis Xv who, unaware of her status as a courtesan, regains through her his appetite for life. They fall madly in love. Against all propriety and etiquette, Jeanne moves to Versailles, where her arrival scandalizes the court.

Directed by French actress and filmmaker Maïwenn (whose...

Streaming now in various virtual cinemas in new restorations, Éric Rohmer’s “Tales of the Four Seasons,” the last of his three major film cycles, offers a fresh chance to consider the methods of one of cinema’s most quietly perceptive artists. Compared to his “Six Moral Tales” and “Comedies and Proverbs,” films that probed the strident yet misplaced confidence of young people as they attempt to find their place in the world, the “Tales of the Four Seasons” found Rohmer—70 years old the year that the first film in the series, 1990’s A Tale of Springtime, premiered—turning his attentions to middle-aged characters.

Perhaps for that reason, this is the most narratively driven cycle in Rohmer’s oeuvre, focusing on characters who may still show flashes of impertinence but generally have a far more solid grasp of self than the pseudo-intellectuals and flighty dreamers of his earlier work. This...

Woody Allen’s Coup de Chance premiered at the Venice International Film Festival last September, and THR reports that MPI Media Group will release the movie in the U.S. on April 5th, followed by a Digital/VOD release on April 12th.

The film is Woody Allen’s 50th theatrically released movie and has already made the rounds in many European markets. The official synopsis reads: “Fanny and Jean have everything of the ideal couple: fulfilled in their professional life, they live in a magnificent apartment in the beautiful districts of Paris and seem to be in love as on the first day. But when Fanny crosses, by chance, Alain, a former high school friend, she is immediately capsized. They see each other again very quickly and get closer and closer.” The film stars Lou de Laâge (The Mad Woman’s Ball) as Fanny, Niels Schneider (Sybil) as Alain and...

Woody Allen’s latest film “Coup de Chance,” his 50th feature, is getting a U.S. release. The movie will be distributed by MPI Media Group, the company that has released Allen’s latest few films ever since allegations resurfaced that he sexually abused his adopted daughter Dylan Farrow.

“Coup de Chance” will open at the Quad Cinema in New York City on April 5 (other venues will be confirmed at a later date), followed by a VOD and digital release on April 12.

MPI Media Group previously released “A Rainy Day in New York” (2020) and “Rifkin’s Festival” (2022) in the U.S. “Rainy Day” was originally meant to be released through Allen’s deal with Amazon Studios, but Amazon ultimately canceled the deal when the abuse allegations resurfaced. (Allen won a legal settlement against Amazon.) Allen has been a persona-non-grata in Hollywood, but he’s continued to make movies in Europe.

“Coup de Chance...

Controversial director Woody Allen’s 50th film “Coup de Chance” is coming to U.S. theaters. MPI Media Group will release the movie on April 5 for North American markets, with a digital/VOD release on April 12.

The film, which premiered at the Venice Film Festival in September, drew both protests and an enthusiastic two-and-a-half minute standing ovation.

U.S. theatrical distributors have generally avoided Allen since the #MeToo movement resurfaced Dylan Farrow’s allegations of child molestation against him, and actors like Rebecca Hall, Timothée Chalamet and Greta Gerwig have expressed regret over working with him.

“Coup de Chance,” which translates to “stroke of luck,” stars Valerie Lemercier, Niels Schneider, Lou de Laage, Elsa Zylberstein and Melvil Poupaud in a tale of murder and intrigue that follows a beautiful couple living in Paris whose lives change when a former flame re-enters their orbit.

Variety’s chief film critic Owen Gleiberman...