News

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...

Is there anything the French don’t do well? If you’ve seen Benjamin Rocher’s sequel to the 2015 action-drama The Squad, I bet you’d agree it’s time we gave French action flicks, and rap music too, for that matter, a fair shot at wooing us. Steadily bolstered by the slapstick elements that add an extra dosage of warmth to the uniquely emotional narrative, The Squad: Home Run revives the adorably quirky cop Niels Cartier’s amusing shenanigans one more time. Here’s how Cartier’s bizarre hunt for his wife’s killers goes down in The Squad: Home Run.

Spoilers Ahead

What Happens in the Film?

Don’t get me wrong; losing a loved one to a freak explosion is traumatizing. But it’s not an easy job to keep a straight face when the unabashedly trope-y narrative of The Squad: Home Run takes a wilted page...

Exclusive: The streaming revolution has finally gifted European creatives the opportunity to write sci-fi and other genres, according to Quoc Dang Tran, the creator of Disney+’s first French-language drama Parallèles.

Speaking exclusively to Deadline on the eve of the teen drama’s launch, Netflix’s Marianne creator said he came up with the idea more than a decade ago but there had been “no outlet for sci-fi” and other genres in non-English-language territories.

“Writers like me felt that we had the ability to tell these stories but weren’t allowed to do so,” he said. “For a while if it was fiction it had to be British or American. Some gave up the dream and others persisted.”

Reflecting on the current state of play, Dang Tran credited the streamers with “creating an electric shock” in the content market.

Disney+ alone is creating around one-third of its 60 planned non-u.S.

Disney Plus has unveiled the trailer and key art for “Parallels,” its new French Original series which has been described as a fantasy sci-fi series in the vein of “Stranger Things.” All six episodes will launch on March 23 on Disney Plus’ platform worldwide.

“Parallels” tells the story of four friends — Bilal, Romane, Samuel and Victor — whose lives are turned upside down when a mysterious event scatters the group into different timelines. The four teenagers will do all they can to understand what has happened and try to get back to the carefree innocence of their former lives.

The series is headlined by teenagers and features many fresh faces, including Thomas Chomel (“Clem”), Omar Mebrouk, Jules Houplain (“Hpi”), Jade Pedri (“Ils étaient dix”), Naidra Ayadi and Guillaume Labbé. Other cast members include Gil Alma (“César Wagner”), Elise Diamant (“Mensonges”), Dimitri Storoge, Agnès Miguras (“Askip”), Maxime Bergeron, Victoria Eber (“Beyond Appearances”) and Timoté Rigault.

One of Latin America’s biggest genre propositions, the Latido Films-sold “Virus 32,” from Uruguayan director Gustavo Hernandez (“You Shall Not Sleep”), was unveiled Tuesday on the A Demain Cannes market platform.

The $1 million pic is a 50-50 Argentina-Uruguay co-production between Aeroplano, run by Sebastian Aloi, and Mother Superior Films, run by Hernandez and Ignacio García Cucucovich.

In addition to subsidy support from Argentina and Uruguay, the horror-thriller has funding from private investors and a pre-sale to Buena Vista for Latin American rights, including a theatrical release in Argentina and Uruguay. Rest of the world rights, including U.S. rights, are sold by Latido.

The video presentation of the new project featured producer Aloi, director Hernandez and screenwriter Juma Fodde Roma.

The story unrolls in a 24-hour period, and is shot in the 13,000 sq. ft. abandoned Neptuno Sports Club in Montevideo. It was written prior to the Covid-19 pandemic and...

How’s this for a pairing? Nicolai Fuglsig has lined found two leads in Michael Shannon and Chris Hemsworth for his directorial debut, Deadline reports. Jerry Bruckheimer and Black Label Media will produce the film, which is titled Horse Soldiers. Based on a true story and adapted by Peter Craig and Ted Tally from a book penned by Dough Staton, Horse Soldiers follows a U.S. special forces team sent to Afghanistan in the wake of 9/11, led by a captain untested in the field. The team was tasked with joining forces with a local Warload to drive out the Taliban, an effort that proved much harder than anticipated. Bruckheimer stated his excitement over the project, saying “I am so happy that we’re finally getting this great project off the ground with wonderful leading actors, Chris Hemsworth and Michael Shannon. It’s also great to be partnered with Molly Smith,...

Mel Gibson’s comeback gathers pace today now that The Hollywood Reporter brings word the actor-director has entered negotiations to headline Every Other Weekend, a CIA spy thriller that will place Gibson in the boots of a veteran agent.

French filmmaker Benjamin Rocher is the director attached at the helm, enlisting producing support from Clement Miserez, Jean-Charles Levy and Peter Safran of The Conjuring fame. A late-year start is the goal.

As for story underpinning Rocher’s actioner, Every Other Weekend follows a father “who has his son convinced he’s a CIA spy, but in actuality he works in the agency’s It department. However, on a father-son trip in Paris, the two find themselves in a life-threatening adventure in which secrets are spilled.” It’s understood Gibson is circling the role of the Grandfather in the French thriller, the overriding patriarch of the family who is harboring a...

Every Other Weekend: Mel Gibson is continuing his attempted comeback by starring in the indie action-adventure spy film Every Other Weekend playing a secret agent whose son, an It guy for the CIA, and grandson get mixed up in a dangerous plot. French filmmaker Benjamin Rocher (The Horde) is directing, and shooting begins later this year. [THR]   Hot Wheels: If the Fast and Furious movies are a little too grown-up for your kids, then Hot Wheels might be a perfect substitute. The presumed family film, based on the little toy cars, even just tapped director Justin Lin, who helmed three of the Fast and Furious installments and then this year's Star Trek Beyond. He will also produce the feature, which is still in early stages...

Read More...

Mel Gibson is in talks to play an old-guy spy in Benjamin Rocher’s upcoming action-espionage film, Every Other Weekend. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the story will center around an as-yet-uncast father and son traveling in Paris, with the former suspecting the latter of being a CIA spy. And proving that sleuthing is a learned trait, it turn out the father’s father is actually the spy.

Presumably the patriarch gets his younger kin out of an international incident, along with some witty banter that mends familial divides, with a bumbling, milquetoast relative proving their worth in the third act. Conjecture aside, Every Other Weekend includes an end-of-year production start set on location in France. That should give Gibson time to complete filming of The Professor and the Madman with fellow hothead Sean Penn, and to do the publicity rounds for his latest directorial feature, the upcoming Hacksaw Ridge.

Every Other Weekend: Mel Gibson is continuing his attempted comeback by starring in the indie action-adventure spy film Every Other Weekend playing a secret agent whose son, an It guy for the CIA, and grandson get mixed up in a dangerous plot. French filmmaker Benjamin Rocher (The Horde) is directing, and shooting begins later this year. [THR]   Hot Wheels: If the Fast and Furious movies are a little too grown-up for your kids, then Hot...

Read More

Read Comments...

Mel Gibson is in early negotiations to star in French filmmaker Benjamin Rocher’s indie action adventure “Every Other Weekend,” TheWrap has learned. The story centers on a father who convinces his son he’s an experienced CIA spy, but in reality works in the agency’s It department. When family secrets are spilled during a father-son trip in Paris, the duo find themselves in an actual life-threatening adventure. Gibson would play the role of the son’s grandfather, who in actuality is a superspy. Also Read: 'Hacksaw Ridge' Venice Review: Mel Gibson Says War Is Hell --...

The first programming has been revealed for the 20th annual Fantasia International Film Festival. Taking place from July 14th–August 2nd in Montreal, this year’s Fantasia will honor Guillermo del Toro with the Cheval Noir Award, and the newly revealed first wave of programming includes screenings of Lights Out, Abattoir, In a Valley of Violence, Under the Shadow, Trash Fire, Teenage Cocktail, and more:

Press Release: Montreal, May 26, 2016 – The Fantasia International Film Festival will be celebrating its 20th Anniversary in Montreal this summer, taking place from July 14-August 2, with its Frontiéres international co-production market and Industry Rendez-Vous weekend being held July 21-24. The full lineup of over 130 feature films will be announced July 5th. In the meantime, the festival is excited to announce a selected first wave of titles, along with several special happenings.

For Fantasia’s 2016 poster, the festival has once again turned to award-winning Quebec visual artist Donald Caron.

Montreal’s genre festival also unveils first wave of titles for its upcoming 20th Anniversary edition.Scroll down for first wave of titles

Guillermo del Toro and Takashi Miike are set to attend the 20th anniversary edition of Fantasia International Film Festival (July 14-Aug 2) in Montreal.

In his first-ever appearance at the festival, del Toro (Pan’s Labyrinth, Hellboy) will be presented with the Cheval Noir award.

He will also deliver a masterclass and host the Canadian premiere of documentary Creature Designers: The Frankenstein Complex, in which he is featured.

Meanwhile, prolific director Miike will receive a Lifetime Achievement Award for the mark he has left on the festival over its 20 years. Nearly 30 of his films have been showcased at Fantasia and he has opened the festival three times.

Miike will also host the North American premiere of his latest film Terraformars, about a team of misfits who must fight humanoid cockroaches to colonise Mars, and As The...

Benjamin Rocher is something of a rarity in French cinema, with a certain irreverence, to his work, a nod back to the classic, Hollywood 80s movies of old – far away from the romances and dramas that we often associate with the particular nation’s cinema. His latest is The Sweeney: Paris, a remake of Nick

The post French director Benjamin Rocher on remaking The Sweeney, in Paris appeared first on HeyUGuys.

The gang’s all here: Jean Reno takes on the baddies in The Sweeney: Paris Photo: Unifrance It was one of the finest British TV series of the 1970s. Now The Sweeney receives a French twist from director Benjamin Rocher with Gallic action icon Jean Reno assuming the Ray Winstone role and returning to the fray on the mean streets of Paris.

Orginally titled Antigang in France and then The Squad and now, blatantly, The Sweeney: Paris it is based on the cinema remake by Nick Love made in 2012.

Rocher who made his reputation on horror films La Horde in 2009 and Goal Of The Dead (2014), mixing soccer and zombies, was keen to pay homage to the Die Hard and Lethal Weapon series from the 1980s, which combined elements of comedy with the suspense.

During the Rendez-vous with French Cinema in Paris earlier in the year, Rocher told me: “The producers...

Exclusive: Parody comedy Fifty Shades Of Black and Kristen Wiig-starring Welcome To Me both included in deal.

Vertigo Releasing has penned a six-picture DVD distribution deal with indie outfit Signature Entertainment.

The first film to be released under the new partnership will be Shira Piven’s comedy-drama Welcome To Me [pictured], starring Kristen Wiig, which will hit shelves on May 9.

The deal also includes Fifty Shades Of Black, Michael Tiddes’ Fifty Shades Of Grey parody, and Arild Fröhlich Norwegian-German comedy Doctor Proctor’s Fart Powder.

Further titles are Benjamin Rocher’s Jean Reno-starring The Sweeney: Paris; Steven Gomez’s action sci-fi Kill Command; and Isabel Coixet’s Learning To Drive, starring Patricia Clarkson and Ben Kingsley

Rupert Preston of Vertigo inked the initial deal with Marc Goldberg of Signature, with the potential for future deals on the near horizon.

Exclusive: Parody comedy Fifty Shades Of Black and Kristen Wiig-starring Welcome To Me both included in deal.

Vertigo Releasing has penned a six-picture DVD distribution deal with indie outfit Signature Entertainment.

The first film to be released under the new partnership will be Shira Piven’s comedy-drama Welcome To Me [pictured], starring Kristen Wiig, which will hit shelves on May 9.

The deal also includes Fifty Shades Of Black, Michael Tiddes’ Fifty Shades Of Grey parody, and Arild Fröhlich Norwegian-German comedy Doctor Proctor’s Fart Powder.

Further titles are Benjamin Rocher’s Jean Reno-starring The Sweeney: Paris; Steven Gomez’s action sci-fi Kill Command; and Isabel Coixet’s Learning To Drive, starring Patricia Clarkson and Ben Kingsley

Rupert Preston of Vertigo inked the initial deal with Marc Goldberg of Signature, with the potential for future deals on the near horizon.

Throughout his long career, iconic French star Jean Reno's films have tended to fall into one of two camps. On the one side - the side that tends to export the most and be most seen by foreign audiences - there are his serious action pieces, films that capitalize on the success of Luc Besson's Leon: The Professional with Reno as an often violent antihero. And on the other side - the side that really pays the bills back in France - Reno is a highly sought after comedic lead. The two sides of Reno seldom meet but director Benjamin Rocher looks to be delivering the comedic and the action oriented Reno in equal measure with the upcoming Antigang.The formula here looks familiar enough with...

[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...

Exclusive: Company to also market premiere First Growth [pictured], a family drama set in the vineyards of Burgundy.

France’s Snd is set to launch sales on a trio of new titles at the Cannes Marché, including Julien Rappeneau’s quirky romantic comedy Rosalie Blum.

It is a debut feature for Rappeneau, who is best known as a writer, his credits including father Jean-Paul Rappeneau’s upcoming Families (Belles familles), pop icon Claude Francois bio-pic My Way and Jérôme Salle’s The Burma Conspiracy and Zulu.

An adaptation of popular graphic novel Rosalie Blum, the film revolves around a lonely, thirty-something hairdresser who starts to secretly investigate a 50-year-old woman who seems vaguely familiar.

His clumsy detective work makes her suspicious and she in turn asks her niece to investigate him – a game of hide-and-seek begins with unexpected results.

“It’s a little jewel which we fell in love with straight away,” says Snd sales...

Exclusive: French remake of The Sweeney, starring Jean Reno, is currently shooting in Paris.

Paris-based sales company Snd has been rounding up sales for The Squad starring Jean Reno, the French remake of the UK’s cult detective tale.

Following its launch at Toronto, the picture has sold to Japan (Klockworx), Germany (SquareOne Entertainment), Spain (Second Gen Picture), the Czech Republic (Aqs) and Freeman Distribution has acquired the film for Poland, Romania, Hungary and the ex-Yugoslavia.

Principal photography began in Paris on October 27 and will continue until mid-December.

Reno plays the lead role of Buren – a tough, old-time Paris detective who is not scared to break rules to solve a case – with support from Caterina Murino, Alban Lenoir and Thierry Neuvic.

The Squad is produced by Snd, the production, distribution and sales arm of French broadcaster M6, French Capture [The Flag] Films and the UK’s Vertigo Films.

As well as handling world sales, Snd will distribute...

Untitled Robert the Bruce Project

"Starred Up" director David Mackenzie is reportedly keen on reuniting with that film's star Jack O'Connell for an upcoming and very gritty film about medieval Scottish king Robert the Bruce which he's working on.

Mackenzie says: "I’m trying to get Jack involved in that. And I can’t say that’s official, but Jack and I have been in discussion on that. But not as the Robert the Bruce character, as a secondary character, but a very, very sort of close second." [Source: Collider]

Freeheld

Steve Carell is set to replace Zach Galifianakis in Peter Sollett's "Freeheld," a narrative film adaptation of the 2007 documentary about two women who fought for an amendment to the Domestic Partnership Act which grants pension benefits to domestic partners of all New Jersey public employees.

Julianne Moore and Ellen Page star in the project. Galifianakis has dropped out due to scheduling conflicts,...

French star takes on Ray Winstone role in Paris-set remake, The Squad.

France’s Snd and Capture [The Flag] Films are joining forces with the UK’s Vertigo Films on The Squad, an upcoming Paris-set remake of The Sweeney.

The feature, to be directed by Benjamin Rocher, is due to shoot in Paris this October with French star Jean Reno in the lead role of Buren, a tough, old-time Paris police cop who does not play by the rules.

“Director Benjamin Rocher and producers Snd and Capture [The Flag] Films have an incredible vision for this action packed movie set on the streets of Paris,” said Vertigo Films co-founder James Richardson.

“We are tremendously excited to be turning The Sweeney into this brilliant French version with the privilege of being able to work with one of our favorite actors, Jean Reno.

The film is a remake of British director Nick Love’s 2012 feature The Sweeney, starring [link=nm...

French star takes on Ray Winstone role in Paris-set remake, The Squad.

France’s Snd and Capture [The Flag] Films are joining forces with the UK’s Vertigo Films on The Squad, an upcoming Paris-set remake of The Sweeney.

The feature, to be directed by Benjamin Rocher, is due to shoot in Paris this October with French star Jean Reno in the lead role of Buren, a tough, old-time Paris police cop who does not play by the rules.

“Director Benjamin Rocher and producers Snd and Capture [The Flag] Films have an incredible vision for this action packed movie set on the streets of Paris,” said Vertigo Films co-founder James Richardson.

“We are tremendously excited to be turning The Sweeney into this brilliant French version with the privilege of being able to work with one of our favorite actors, Jean Reno.

The film is a remake of British director Nick Love’s 2012 feature The Sweeney, starring [link=nm...

The Sitges Film Festival is typically a feast for horror fans, and this year's event looks to be no different as a big batch of new genre movies has been added to the lineup that's sure to make you drool.

From the Press Release:

The 47th Sitges Film Festival, to be held from 3 to 12 October, will be loaded with films that are all eagerly awaited by fantastic and, especially, horror genre film lovers. Festival Director Àngel Sala has announced the names of a good handful of new films that will be included in Sitges 2014.

These new Festival incorporations have been added to the lineup of an edition that will be opening with Jaume Balagueró’s [Rec] 4: Apocalypse, presenting its Grand Honorary Award to Roland Emmerich, and including presentations of the latest productions from important directors like Jean-Luc Godard, David Cronenberg, Kim-ki Duk, and Takashi Miike. See more details on those...

Montreal-based genre festival to screen over 160 films at its 18th edition, which runs July 17-Aug 6.

Fantasia International Film Festival has unveiled the full line-up for its 18th edition, which takes place in Montreal from July 17-Aug 6.

Along with those previously announced in the first two waves, this year’s festival will also host the world premieres of Gun Ho Jang’s Heavenly Sword, Simon Boisvert’s Bold & Brash: Filmmaking Boisvert Style, Nick Szostakiwskyj’s Black Mountain Side, Maude Michaud’s Dys-, Chad Archibald & Matt Wiele’s Ejecta and LeRoy McCoy’s McCoy the Space Cowboy.

As previously announced, Jacky in the Kingdom of Women and Welcome to New York bookend this year’s festival.

Strands

Jonas Alexander Amby’s Cannes title When Animals Dream will receive its North American premiere as part of the festival’s Camera Lucida strand, which will also screen the likes of Josephine Decker’s Thou Wast Mild and Lovely and the North...

Following previous announcements of their film lineup, the Fantasia International Film Festival has released their full lineup of movies to be shown at the 18th Annual festival, starting July 17.

New additions to the lineup include 2014 Cannes Selection When Animals Dream, directed by Jonas Alexander Amby and the return of Fantasia’s showcase of animated films, Axis.

Tickets for the festival go on sale starting July 16, and the festival runs through August 5.

View the whole press release of additional announcements below:

Fantasia Celebrates Its 18th Birthday

With Over 160 Feature Films Montreal, Thursday July 10, 2014 – 2014 is the year that Fantasia turns 18. We can’t believe it either. Fantasia’s 18th birthday means over 160 features and something in the neighborhood of 300 shorts, many being shown for the first time on this continent, a good number screening here for the first time anywhere in the world.In addition to being stacked with a multitude of breathtaking debut filmmaker discoveries,...

Thierry Poiraud and Benjamin Rocher's new comedy zombie feature 'Goal of the Dead' arrives on DVD here in the UK next Monday. The movie is set to screen at this months Fantasia International Film Festival and takes full advantage of World Cup fever by merging love for the game with flesh hungry zombies. In the lead up to the release 3 new pieces of cool concept art from the pic has been revealed which you can view below. Co-director Rocher is no stranger to blood soaked zombie flicks having previously 'tackled' (get it!?) French tower-block zombie horror flick 'The Horde'....

Playing as part of the Fantasia 2014 Film Festival is Goal of the Dead, a soccer movie... with zombies. Can you think of anything else that could make the quest for the Cup more exciting? Check out some new artwork and more.

Directed by Benjamin Rocher (The Horde) and Thierry Poiraud, the two-part film centers around a French Olympic football team that visits a small village in Northern France to play a crucial game in the run-up to the World Cup. But as the apocalypse looms, an epidemic quickly spreads, transforming the players, spectators, and inhabitants alike.

Synopsis

Saturday, the 18th of January 2012. A quarter of an hour before the match. An hour before the apocalypse. In a small village in the northeast of France, Caplongue, lay a nuclear power plant, industrialized agriculture, and a church lower than its unemployment rate but also the football team, which managed to reach the...

Stars: Alban Lenoir, Charlie Bruneau, Tiphaine Daviot, Ahmed Sylla, Alexandre Philip | Written by Tristan Schulmann, Marie Garel Weiss, Quoc Dang Tran, Izm, Laetitia Trapet | Directed by Benjamin Rocher, Thierry Poiraud

Well this couldn’t be better timing really could it? With the World Cup occupying TV screens and newspapers across the globe Metrodome unleash Goal of the Dead on a football-hungry UK audience. And whilst I typically avoid football movies like the proverbial plague, I couldn’t help but check out any film which also involves zombies and The Horde director Benjamin Rocher!

Like The Horde before it, the plot of Goal of the Dead is relatively simple and sees professional football team arrive at their lowly local-rivals stadium for an end of season friendly when a zombie apocalypse turns the hostile fans into flesh-eating undead hooligans.

This time round it would seem Rocher and his co-director Thierry Poiraud have...

​Earlier this year, we saw the international trailer for Goal of the Dead find its way online. Now that the film has hit the festival circuit, we got our hands on that same trailer but with English subtitles. Benjamin Rocher (The Horde) directs with Thierry Poiraud. Saturday, the 18th of January 2012. A quarter of an hour before the match. An hour before the Apocalypse. In a small village in the north-east of France, Caplongue, lays a nuclear power plant, an industrialized agriculture and a church lower than its unemployment rate but also, the football team, which managed to reach the 1/32nd French Final Cup with a lot of courage and talent.

The post Goal of the Dead Gets An English Subtitled Trailer appeared first on Shock Till You Drop.

Metrodome have announced the UK DVD release of Goal of the Dead, which is Directed by The Horde’s Thierry Poiraud and Benjamin Rocher, and stars Ahmed Sylla and Alban Lenoir, on July 7th.

The film sees professional football team arrive at their lowly local-rivals stadium for an end of season friendly, when a zombie apocalypse turns the hostile fans into flesh-eating undead hooligans. Transcending usual horror audiences, Goal of the Dead is a zombie football bloodbath for the masses.

Exclusive: Metrodome haul includes rom-com We’ll Never Have Paris from Simon Helberg, star of The Big Bang Theory.

Metrodome has finalised deals on five films for distribution in UK and Ireland, including a deal with K5 for Simon Helberg’s directorial debut We’ll Never Have Paris.

Helberg, who plays Howard Wolowitz in Us sitcom The Big Bang Theory, wrote, co-directed with Jocelyn Towne and stars in the rom-com, based on the co-directors’ real life romantic history.

The film follows a neurotic young man rattled by a sudden declaration of love from an attractive co-worker moments before he is about to propose to his girlfriend.

Zachary Quinto, Alfred Molina, Melanie Lynskey, Jason Ritter and Maggie Grace co-star.

The deal was negotiated between Metrodome head of acquisitions Giles Edwards and Carl Clifton for K5 International with a release planned for late 2014.

Helberg comented on the deal: “After over 200 years of slightly underwhelming independence, I am proud...

Films Distribution has released the first trailer for "Goal Of The Dead", the zombie soccer bloodbath helmed by Benjamin Rocher ("La Horde") and Thierry Poiraud ("Atomik Circus, Le Retour De James Bataille"). The trailer is in French, and unfortunately missing subtitles. "Goal Of The Dead" was acquired out of Efm by Metrodome (U.K.), Core Media Group (Germany), Korea (Line Tree), Hong Kong (Sundream), Turkey (Bir Film), Belgium (Cineart), as well as the Netherlands and Austria. It was previously acquired by Nikkatsu for Japan (per Variety).The two-part film centers around a French Olympic football team who visits a small village in Northern France to play a crucial game in the run-up to the World Cup. But as the Apocalypse looms, an epidemic quickly spreads and transforms the...

Yes, kids, the undead are arriving in France and they've got a taste for footie as well as human flesh. With its release timed to take advantage of the coming World Cup, upcoming French horror comedy Goal of the Dead brings the undead into the sporting arena in a two part project to be released in theaters with a brief intermission between the halves, with directing duties falling to Benjamin Rocher and Thierry Poiraud.Saturday, the 18th of January 2012. A quarter of an hour before the match. An hour before the Apocalypse.In a small village in the north-east of France, Caplongue, lays a nuclear power plant, an industrialized agriculture and a church lower than its unemployment rate but also, the football team, which managed to...

[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...

A trailer has been released for Goal of the Dead a horror comedy that will bring zombies and football together at last. The trailer is in French so I have no idea what they are saying but it looks like this movie could be a lot of fun. The movie will have its premiere in Paris on February 27 2014 so it will be awhile before we see it on DVD here in the Us. Goal of the Dead is directed by Thierry Poiraud Benjamin Rocher and stars Xavier Laurent Alban Lenoir and Sebastien Vandenberghe.

Now this? This we like. This we really like. Goal of the Dead - a soccer movie... with zombies. Read on for all the flesh-ripping, goal-kicking details and the newly released trailer!

Films Distribution enlisted a flurry of buyers for the undead soccer film, who will release it around the globe this summer.

The flick was acquired by Metrodome (U.K.), Core Media Group (Germany), Korea (Line Tree), Hong Kong (Sundream), Turkey (Bir Film), Belgium (Cineart), as well as the Netherlands and Austria. It was previously acquired by Nikkatsu for Japan.

Directed by Benjamin Rocher (The Horde) and Thierry Poiraud, the two-part film centers around a French Olympic football team that visits a small village in Northern France to play a crucial game in the run-up to the World Cup. But as the Apocalypse looms, an epidemic quickly spreads and transforms the players, spectators and inhabitants into strange and enraged creatures.

Just in time for this June's FIFA World Cup comes Goal of the Dead, a soccer movie... with zombies. Read on for all the flesh-ripping, goal-kicking details!

Variety reports that Films Distribution has enlisted a flurry of buyers for the undead soccer film, who will release it around the globe this summer.

The flick was acquired by Metrodome (U.K.), Core Media Group (Germany), Korea (Line Tree), Hong Kong (Sundream), Turkey (Bir Film), Belgium (Cineart), as well as the Netherlands and Austria. It was previously acquired by Nikkatsu for Japan.

Directed by Benjamin Rocher (The Horde) and Thierry Poiraud, the two-part film centers around a French Olympic football team that visits a small village in Northern France to play a crucial game in the run-up to the World Cup. But as the Apocalypse looms, an epidemic quickly spreads and transforms the players, spectators and inhabitants into strange and enraged creatures.

Cheap Thrills, the indie thriller that scored the opening “Midnighters” spot at South By Southwest, has already landed a deal. The Paris-based company Films Distribution, whose past genre acquisitions include Benjamin Rocher’s cult zombie hit The Horde, Alex de la Iglesia’s insane clown-vs-clown epic The Last Circus and Franck Richard's darkly comic cannibal flick The Pack, will bring the film to the Cannes Film Festival to sell to distributors. Produced by Snowfort Pictures (whose horror comedy Big Ass Spider! is also screening at SXSW), Cheap Thrills is the directorial debut of screenwriter E.L. Katz (Home Sick, Autopsy). It stars Pat Healy and Sara Paxton – who previously starred in Ti West's The Innkeepers – along with David Koechner, Ethan Embry and Amanda Fuller. The story by Trent Haaga (Deadgirl) and David Chirchirillo (Dances with Werewolves) involves a new father facing eviction whose life is turned upside down when...

Hot on the heels of yesterday's one-sheet premiere for E.L. Katz's South by Southwest offering Cheap Thrills, we have a new still for you guys to peep or scope or whatever it is you weirdos do with your eyes. Dig it!

But first, we have some news that international sales agent Films Distribution has acquired the foreign sales rights to Cheap Thrills, the economy themed thriller opening the Midnighters program at SXSW. Paris-based Films Distribution has a long history of handling elevated genre films that have been worldwide successes, such as Alex de la Iglesia’s visionary The Last Circus, Franck Richard’s flesh-eating party film The Pact, and Benjamin Rocher’s French urban zombie film The Horde.

U.S. sales will be handled by Josh and Dan Braun of Submarine Entertainment.

The E.L. Katz directed film stars David Koechner, Ethan Embry, Amanda Fuller, and Innkeepers costars Pat Healy and Sara Paxton.

It's kind of amusing to us that since Adam and Joe of FEARnet's "Holliston" started talking about soccer-themed horror with their "movie" Shinpads, a zombie flick taking place on the field shambles our way. Great minds thinking alike?

According to Twitch, Goal of the Dead is headed our way from directors Benjamin Rocher (The Horde) and Thierry Poiraud (Atomik Circus). Read on for the skinny!

Saturday, the 18th of January, 2012. A quarter of an hour before the match. An hour before the Apocalypse. In a small village in the northeast of France, Caplongue, lays a nuclear power plant, industrialized agriculture and a church lower than its unemployment rate but also a football team, which managed to reach the 1/32nd French Final Cup with a lot of courage and talent. The village is all the more jubilant at the idea of receiving the Paris Olympic, a top league club with famous footballers.

Something we'll all have to accept: Inevitably, everything we know will have some sort of "zombie" spin on it.  If you can think of it, there is, or will be, some sort of take on it which involves the undead.  With that said, let us introduce you to Goal of the Dead.

And if you can't guess from the title: It's a zombie soccer movie.

That's the teaser art you see to the right.  The fellas at Twitch landed the info and say Benjamin Rocher and Thierry Poiraud are going to direct.  The former was co-director on the French zombie film The Horde and Poiraud was co-director of Atomik Circus.

The synopsis goes like this...

Read more...

A zombie soccer film? It's happening and it's coming to you from Benjamin Rocher - co-director of The Horde - and Thierry Poiraud - co-director of deliciously daft scifi comedy Atomik Circus.Saturday, the 18th of January 2012. A quarter of an hour before the match. An hour before the Apocalypse.In a small village in the north-east of France, Caplongue, lays a nuclear power plant, an industrialized agriculture and a church lower than its unemployment rate but also, the football team, which managed to reach the 1/32nd French Final Cup with a lot of courage and talent. The village is all the more jubilating at the idea of receiving the Paris Olympic, a top league club with famous footballers.For the Paris Olympic, it's the opposite. The...

We now have even more proof that holiday revelers are not thinking about horror as there are only three notable titles this week. What do you think about Devil being released so close to this religious holiday?

Zombie fans among us should appreciate The Horde; however, if The Foywonder's recent tweet is any indication, Mega Shark vs. Crocosaurus may not be a shiny present from Santa after all.

For the gamers out there, your early Xmas present just arrived in the form of a downloadable Dead Space 2 (watch trailer) demo arriving today on the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3.

Devil

Directed by The Dowdle Brothers (Drew Dowdle, John Erick Dowdle)

Starring Jacob Vargas, Bokeem Woodbine, Chris Messina, Matt Craven

Trapped in an elevator high above Philadelphia, five people discover that the Devil (Blu-ray DVD review) is among them – and no one can escape their fate. This chilling, supernatural thriller from M. Night Shyamalan (The Sixth Sense,...

*La Horde aka The Horde releases on DVD today and here writer Ed Sum adds his thoughts.

Directors: Yannick Dahan, and Benjamin Rocher.

Writers: Yannick Dahan, Benjamin Rocher, Arnaud Bordas, and Stéphane Moïssakis.

Is it the end of the world already? The widely anticipated North American DVD release of La Horde will hit stores Dec 21st, 2010. This video will certainly be one to delight fans who are familiar with the stars of French entertainment—actor Eriq Ebouaney (Cape of Good Hope, Kingdom of Heaven) plays Markudi and rapper Doudou Masta plays Bola, his brother. They demonstrate a chemistry that’s normally reserved for a Quentin Tarantino product.

This engagement helps because what happens throughout the film is atypical for a gangster flick. After the murder of a detective at the start of the film, certain members of the French police decide to go vigilante on the worst night possible for life in Paris.

Two notable horror films will release on DVD and Blu-Ray this week. The titles include M. Night Shyamalan's Devil and Yannick Dahan's La Horde, or The Horde. Devil has been given some attention in a review on 28Dla; the review can be found here: Devil Movie Review. 28Dla writer, Ed Sum described the film as "what Shyamalan has created has the scope of being something larger than life." So, there is definitely some intrigue in the film. As well, the French film La Horde has made some waves by putting some thrills and action back into the coming zombie apocalypse. An international trailer for this film has previously been posted here: La Horde International Trailer.

Both of these titles will be made available December 21st and these releases will each host a whole slew of extras. The special features and more details on these films can be found inside.

IFC Films is reportedly releasing the French Zombie film The Horde to DVD on December 1st in the USA. The undead will be outnumbering humans just in time for the Holiday season.

As we reported back in May, The Horde was directed by Yannick Dahan and Benjamin Rocher and was a hit at the Venice Film Festival, London’s FrightFest Film Festival and at this year’s Colcoa (City of Lights City of Angels). The film premiered in theaters and on VOD under the IFC Midnight label in August. Check out the trailer below the synopsis.

Synopsis:

"Paris is burning, chaos reigns, and the undead are everywhere in The Horde, but the usual all-too-human bad behavior continues in this chilling Zombie flick from France. After a policeman is brutally murdered by a criminal gang, four of his colleagues, including the dead man’s former girlfriend, plot revenge. They ambush the gang’s run-down high-rise base,...

IFC Films and Mpi Media Group will be distributing the French zombie apocalypse film La Horde to North American audiences December 21st. The release has been infected with several extra features including: a making of featurette, a short film prequel (Rivoallan), deleted scenes, an alternate opening and several more (Fangoria). Lots more from this list of special features are below along with a new English dubbed trailer for this bloodfest of a film. Check out all the details inside.

The synopsis for La Horde here:

"North of Paris, in order to avenge the murder of one of their own by a group of ruthless gangsters, four corrupt cops go on a rampage in a condemned building serving as the mobster's hideout. Now trapped, the officers are about to be executed when the unimaginable occurs; hordes of rage-fueled zombies invade the building, savagely attacking everyone. Unexpected alliances are made when their...

Here are the DVD specs for French zombie film The Horde from directors Yannick Dahan and Benjamin Rocher.  It is scheduled for release in the U.S. on December 21 by IFC Films and Mpi Media Group and looks pretty awesome.

Full Specs:

 

Making-of featurette Short-film prequel Rivoallan Deleted scenes Alternate opening Drawing studies for the zombies and sets Poster projects Storyboard extracts French teaser U.S. trailer 

 

Synopsis:

The Horde follows a specialized police task force who are out for revenge against a vicious gang that murdered one of their colleagues. The gang and the cops confrontation is interrupted when a zombie horde overtakes the city, trapping the good guys and the bad guys in a tenement building where they have to unite to survive.

Check out the trailer below:...

The Horde

Directed by Yannick Dahan and Benjamin Rocher

Starring Jean-Pierre Martins, Claude Perron, Aurélien Recoing, Antoine Oppenheim, Eriq Ebouaney, Doudou Masta, Jo Prestia

Momentum Pictures Home Ent

Release date: September 20, 2010 (UK); December 21, 2010 DVD | (U.S.)

At the funeral of murdered French police officer Rivoallan, a group of his colleagues vow to get vengeance for their fallen friend. Their target is the Markudis, a notorious gang of Nigerians operating out of a condemned apartment block in a tough, long forgotten part of the city. Ouessem (Jean-Pierre Martins), Aurore (Claude Perron), Jimenez (Aurélien Recoing), and Tony (Antoine Oppenheim) storm their hideout which kickstarts a turn of events as their night goes from bad to the very worst.

As the fight begins and the gang takes the upper hand, the building is besieged by the undead. Now the surviving crims and cops must work together if they are to make their way to ground alive.

The Horde (aka La Horde)

Stars: Claude Perron, Jean Pierre Martins, Eriq Ebouaney, Aurelien Recoing, Doudou Masta, Antoine Oppenhiem | Written and Directed by Yannick Dahan & Benjamin Rocher

Following the death of their friend at the hands of some local mobsters, a small group of police detectives decide to infiltrate the high-rise apartment block that is the mobsters hideout to seek out some vigilante-style justice. However things go wrong and the cops find one of their number dead and the rest are taken prisoner by the gang. But that’s the least of their worries…

It’s not long before everyone realizes they are trapped together in a high-rise that is rapidly becoming infested with blood-thirsty legions of the living dead! Their only chance of getting it out alive is to join forces, but with their numbers dwindling and tensions between the cops and crooks running high, the odds of survival...