Bel Ami rolls in London, Budapest
British theatre directors Declan Donnellan and Nick Ormerod’s feature film debut Bel Ami will commence principal photography in London and Budapest locations on February 7. The duo had earlier collaborated on 1992 short The Big Fish.
Bel Ami, based on the celebrated eponymous novel by Guy de Maupassant, adapted by Rachel Bennette, follows Georges Duroy, who travels through 1890s Paris, from cockroach ridden garrets to opulent salons, using his wits and powers of seduction to rise from poverty to wealth.
The cast includes Robert Pattinson as Duroy, Kristin Scott Thomas, Uma Thurman, Christina Ricci, Philip Glenister and Colm Meaney. Uberto Pasolini (The Full Monty) is producing with Simon Fuller as executive producer.
Director of photography is Hagen Bogdanski (The Lives of Others [+see also:
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Bel Ami is a Redwave Films UK production in association with Simon Fuller’s new company XIX, Protagonist Pictures and RAI Cinema.
Protagonist Pictures are handling international sales on the film. RAI Cinema will handle the film in Italy. StudioCanal will release in three territories: Optimum Releasing in the UK, Kinowelt in Germany and their own Studio Canal label in France. Protagonist have also completed deals with Independent (Benelux), Impuls (Switzerland), Central Partnership (CIS), Ablo (Eastern Europe) and Hollywood Entertainment (Greece and Cyprus).
This will be the tenth adaptation of the Maupassant novel. There have been four features and five television adaptations earlier.
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