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“Journey to the End of the Night,” a literary masterpiece penned by controversial French author Louis-Ferdinand Céline, is being adapted for the big screen by Joann Sfar and Thomas Bidegain.

Well-established producers Aton Soumache (“The Little Prince”) and Alain Attal (“Beating Hearts”) are developing the project through their respective banners, Magical Society (jointly led with Sfar) and Tresor Films.

The adaptation endeavor was initiated by Sfar, a Jewish comicbook artist, illustrator, thinker and filmmaker whose body of work has promoted tolerance and combatted all forms of racism through words and images.

Published in 1932, “Journey to the End of the Night” was the first novel written by Céline, whose real name was Louis Ferdinand Auguste Destouches. Céline, who fled to Germany in 1944 and died in 1961 after living for many years in self-imposed exile in Denmark, remains a polarizing figure due to his antisemitic views and pamphlets that promoted the Nazi ideology during the Second World War.

Mediawan Kids & Family, a leading European youth animation studio working with filmmakers Sylvain Chomet (“The Triplets of Belleville”) and Joann Sfar (“The Rabbi’s Cat”), is ramping up its international distribution pipeline with the acquisition of three premium series: “Maddie + Triggs,” “The Specials” and “Idefix and the Indomitables.”

“Maddie + Triggs” is an inclusive preschool musical comedy series produced by Turnip + Duck, an award-winning Irish studio. A spinoff of a popular podcast aimed at children aged 4 to 7, the series was pitched at Cartoon Forum in 2022 and commissioned by the BBC’s kids’ network CBeebies in the U.K. and RTÉjr Ireland’s Children’s broadcast service. The series is animated by the Bristol-based indie Sun & Moon Studios. “Maddie+ Triggs” follows the adventures of Maddie, a visually impaired 7-year-old girl, and her dog Triggs, who find music through the sounds of everyday life.

“Today, there is more awareness and appreciation of difference than ever before,...

Animation distributor negotiated deal with mk2.

GKids has acquired North American rights to Jérémie Perin’s Cannes and Annecy selection Mars Express.

‘Mars Express’: Annecy Review

Perin’s debut feature is set in 2200 as private detective Aline Ruby and her android partner Carlos Rivera are hired by a wealthy businessman to track down a notorious hacker.

On Mars, they descend into the underbelly of the planet’s capital city where they uncover a darker story of brain farms, corruption, and a missing girl who holds a secret about the robots that threatens to change the fate of the universe.

Gkids has acquired North American rights to Mars Express, the French animated feature from first-timer Jérémie Perin, which was an official selection this year of both Cannes and Annecy.

The acquisition comes following Gkids’ local distribution of the film The Rabbi’s Cat, which Perin helped develop. His sci-fi noir will hit theaters in its original French language and a new English dub in 2024, following a domestic release in France this November.

A 2D/3D hybrid that recently had its U.S. premiere at Animation is Film Festival in Los Angeles, Mars Express watches as private detective Aline Ruby and her android partner Carlos Rivera are hired by a wealthy businessman to track down a notorious hacker in the year 2200. On Mars, they descend deep into the underbelly of the planet’s capital city where they uncover a darker story of brain farms, corruption, and a missing girl who holds a...

The outfit’s first commission is six-part BBC One thriller ’Vidree’, with feature films also in the pipeline.

Former UK Film Council executive and producer of Saving Mr Banks, Sing Street and TV series The Casual Vacancy Paul Trijbits has revealed details of his new venture with French production company Magical Society.

The former head UK Film Council’s New Cinema Fund has also spoken about the demise of his former company FilmWave, saying “we had all our eggs in the Netflix basket”.

Dutch-born, UK-based Trijbits and former FilmWave colleague JJ Lousberg have partnered with Paris-based Magical Society to set...

Mediawan Kids & Family, the youth entertainment division of the European powerhouse, has acquired a majority stake in Wildseed Studios, the British production company behind “The Last Bus” and “Hungerford.”

The deal marks the first international acquisition of Mediawan Kids & Family, a leading purveyor of animated series and features including “The Little Prince” and “The Little Nicholas,” which premiered at Cannes.

Wildseed Studios was founded in 2013 by Jesse Cleverly (“Eastern Promises”), former head of co-productions and acquisitions at BBC Children’s, and Miles Bullough (“Shaun the Sheep”), former head of broadcast at Aardman Animations. The company’s track record includes a number of hits such as the Netflix live action series “The Last Bus,” the award-winning feature film “Hungerford,” the children’s animation series “Dodo” for Sky Kids and the animated comedy “Counterfeit Cat” for Disney Channel. Upcoming titles include the Sky Kids Special “Ama’s Story.”

“Wildseed Studios is a renowned and well-established U.

Veteran French animation producer Aton Soumache and renowned comicbook artist-turned-filmmaker Joann Sfar (“The Rabbi’s Cat”) are launching Magical Society in the run up to the online Annecy Animation Film Festival.

The Paris-based mini-studio is already boasting a slate of a dozen ambitious animation, hybrid and live action projects in various stages of development, with about 30 topnotch international creative talents attached, notably Leo Sanchez Barbosa, the character designer of “How to Train Your Dragon,” and Viktor Antonov.

Magical Society is a rebranded company stemming from Sfar’s production vehicle Nice Pictures, which was acquired last year by Soumache’s Mediawan-backed On Entertainment. Sfar’s latest animated feature “Little Vampire” is part of the official selection of Annecy’s online film festival.

The outfit’s roster of titles includes the series “Monsieur Crocodile,” “Monsters’ Shrink,” the 3D animated feature “La chanson du Renart” (“The Fox’s Song”), as well as a hybrid...

Joann Sfar, the French comic book artist and filmmaker, recently wrapped "Fashion Week", a graphic novel inspired by the headline-making robbery at Kim Kardashian West's Paris hotel room in 2016.

Sfar is also developing a French film loosely based on the incident, reports variety.com.

Also Read:?Kim Kardashian shares emotional letters from late father

Sfar is co-writing the script with Marion Festraets ("Chefs") and will be directing the film, which he said will be a comedy exploring the themes of feminism, masculinity and patriarchy in today's society.

Titled "Fashion Week", the film will address "violence against women, the relationship between the very rich people and the less rich, the world of fashion and the encounter between figures of new and old worlds," Sfar told Variety.

The plot of the movie will revolve around a group of older thieves who plan to rob a famous influencer during her trip to...

Bérénice Bejo as Peppy Miller in Michel Hazanavicius' The Artist The Artist, Michel Hazanavicius, A Separation: César Winners Pt.1 Best Actor Sami Bouajila, Omar m'a tuer / Omar Killed Me François Cluzet, Intouchables / Untouchable Jean Dujardin, The Artist Olivier Gourmet, L'exercice de l'État / The Minister Denis Podalydes, La conquête / The Conquest * Omar Sy, Intouchables / Untouchable Philippe Torreton, Présumé coupable / Guilty Best Actress Ariane Asquaride, Les neiges du Kilimanjaro / The Snows of Kilimanjaro * Bérénice Bejo, The Artist Leila Bekhti, La Source des femmes / The Source Valérie Donzelli, La guerre est déclarée / Declaration of War Marina Foïs, Polisse Marie Gilain, Toutes nos envies / All Our Desires Karin Viard, Polisse Best Supporting Actor * Michel Blanc, L'exercice de l'État / The Minister Nicolas Duvauchelle, Polisse Joey Starr, Polisse Bernard Lecoq, La conquête / The Conquest Frédéric Pierrot, Polisse Best Supporting Actress Zabou Breitman, L'exercice de l'État / The Minister Anne Le Ny, Intouchables / Untouchable Noémie Lvovsky, L'Apollonide,...

Bérénice Bejo, Malcolm McDowell, The Artist The Artist, Polisse, Intouchables: César Nominations Pt.1 Best Actor Sami Bouajila, Omar m'a tuer / Omar Killed Me François Cluzet, Intouchables / Untouchable Jean Dujardin, The Artist Olivier Gourmet, L'exercice de l'État / The Minister Denis Podalydes, La conquête / The Conquest Omar Sy, Intouchables / Untouchable Philippe Torreton, Présumé coupable / Guilty Best Actress Ariane Asquaride, Les neiges du Kilimanjaro / The Snows of Kilimanjaro Bérénice Bejo, The Artist Leila Bekhti, La Source des femmes / The Source Valérie Donzelli, La guerre est déclarée / Declaration of War Marina Foïs, Polisse Marie Gilain, Toutes nos envies / All Our Desires Karin Viard, Polisse Best Supporting Actor Michel Blanc, L'exercice de l'État / The Minister Nicolas Duvauchelle, Polisse Joey Starr, Polisse Bernard Lecoq, La conquête / The Conquest Frédéric Pierrot, Polisse Best Supporting Actress Zabou Breitman, L'exercice de l'État / The Minister Anne Le Ny, Intouchables / Untouchable Noémie Lvovsky, L'Apollonide, souvenirs de la maison close / House of Tolerance Carmen Maura,...

The live stream of the European Film Awards from Berlin this evening was pretty spotty, but a few fine moments came through, particularly the moment when a special honorary award was inaugurated and presented to a very surprised Michel Piccoli by Volker Schlöndorff and Bruno Ganz.

Another special award was given to producer Mariela Besuievski, Stellan Skarsgård presented the European Achievement in World Cinema Award to Mads Mikkelsen, and Stephen Frears received this year's Lifetime Achievement Award.

The full list of winners and nominees:

European Film 2011: Melancholia, Denmark/Sweden/France/Germany

Written and Directed by Lars von Trier

Produced by Meta Louise Foldager and Louise Vesth.

Also nominated:

The Artist, France

Written and Directed by Michel Hazanavicius

Produced by Thomas Langmann and Emmanuel Montamat

Le Gamin au Velo (The Kid with a Bike), Belgium/France/Italy

Written and Directed by Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne

Produced by Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne,...

Melancholia, The Artist, Le Havre and the other nominations for the 2011 European Film Awards have been announced. The 24th Annual European Film Awards are presented “by the European Film Academy to recognize excellence in European cinematic achievements. The awards are given in over ten categories of which the most important is the Film of the year. They are restricted to European cinema and European producers, directors, and actors.” This year’s European Film Awards “ceremony will be held on December 3, 2011 in Berlin’s Tempodrom near Potsdamer Platz.”

The full listing of the 2011 European Film Awards nominations is below.

European Film 2011

The Artist, France

Written and Directed by: Michel Hazanavicius; Produced by: Thomas Langmann & Emmanuel Montamat

Le Gamin au Velo (The Kid with a Bike), Belgium/France/Italy

Written and Directed by: Jean-Pierre & Luc Dardenne; Produced by: Jean-Pierre & Luc Dardenne, Denis Freyd & Andrea Occhipinti

Hævnen (In a Better World), Denmark...

The European Film Academy has announced the three nominees for the 2011 Animated Feature Film category. The nominees are: Antoine Delesvaux and Joann Sfar's "Le Chat Du Rabbin" ("The Rabbi's Cat"); Tono Errando, Javier Mariscal and Fernando Trueba's "Chico & Rita;" and Jean-Loup Felicioli and Alain Gagnol's "Une Vie de Chat" ("A Cat in Paris"). The Awards ceremony will take place in Berlin on December 3. Full announcement below: A ...

French cinema friendly distrib label Music Box Films (they have Potiche on their upcoming release slate) have grabbed comic book artist Joann Sfar's Gainsbourg -- a feature debut that preemed in 2010 and showed up at the Tribeca Film Festival but ultimately failed to light a fire among the other foreign film distributors. I imagine that a flower dress month in the summer would be the ideal for the film's release.  Gist: Serge Gainsbourg, vie héroïque is the story, amusing and fantastic, of Serge Gainsbourg and his famous mug. It's the story of a little Jewish boy who saunters about in a Paris occupied by the Germans; of a young, timid poet (Eric Elmosnino) who leaves behind his paintings and his room beneath the rooftops to dazzle nightclub crowds during the Swinging Sixties. It's a "heroic life" where the creatures of his mind become full-bodied on screen and his eloquence...

Gainsbourg, Je t'Aime... Moi Non Plus sprung from the wild mind of artist and prolific graphic novelist Joann Sfar, who is famous for his books like Vampire Loves, Little Vampires, Sardine in Outer Space, and the award-winning book The Rabbi's Cat. Gainsbourg, starring Eric Elmosnino, is an adaptation of a graphic novel of the same name by Sfar, who wrote and directed this visually arresting movie about the infamous singer. Sfar's vision of Gainsbourg is a heady mix of sex and cigarette smoke, with a surreal twist. Gainsbourg is followed by a sort of evil twin, La Gueule (aka The Mug), played by Doug Jones of Pan's Labyrinth, Hellboy, and many other transformative roles. La Guele is an exaggerated version of Gainsbourg, with huge ears and a huge nose and naughty advice for the controversial singer. Rather than a straight biopic, Sfar's movie is a stylized version of the singer's life,...