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Netflix's French-language Mma show The Cage has a distinctly varied cast of up-and-coming young actors, renowned actor-directors, and several real-life Mma fighters. The Cage follows Taylor Keita (Melvin Boomer) as he rockets from being an unknown entity to the newest sensation in the French UFC. Along the way, he's both supported and discouraged by people in his professional and personal lives, and The Cage feels very similar to underdog sports movies like Rocky. The Cage is also similar to some of Sylvester Stallone's best action movies in that it focuses just as much on its characters as it does its fight scenes.

Though it boasts some impressive fights and choreography, the main draw of The Cage is its character-driven story. The main thing that makes the show's characters so compelling is their actors, and The Cage is not wanting for talent. It's also not set on a specific type of actor,...

The ending of Netflix's The Cage was a roller coaster of highs and lows, and with all the chaos of Taylor Keita's (Melvin Boomer) final fight against Ibrahim Ibara (Bosh), some of the show's final moments need explaining. The Cage follows Taylor's journey from a nobody in the world of French Mma to the next rising star of the UFC. Such a massive rise in fame came with quite a few setbacks, however, and Taylor took more than a few hard knocks. It's precisely because of those setbacks and its similarities to the most inspiring sports movies that The Cage is one of the best shows on Netflix.

By the final scenes of The Cage, Taylor had experienced both his greatest victory and the beginning of his greatest defeat. Though he defeated Ibrahim, Taylor gained a new adversary. The show's final scenes saw Niko (Antoine Simony) take on an...

In The Cage, a young fighter gets his shot at the big leagues when a video of him facing off against a pro goes viral. But when he’s outmatched, he has to prove himself again in the ring. The French series stars Melvin Boomer, rapper Bosh, and the show’s co-creator Franck Gastambide (Validé), with appearances by mixed martial arts (Mma) fighters Edwige Ahonto, Georges St-Pierre, Ciryl Gane, Jon Jones, and Anissa Meksen.

Stream it now.

Find it at the top of this page.

Cash-strapped amateur Mma fighter Taylor (Boomer) dreams of going pro someday and spends his days training at a local gym owned by a guy called Boss (Gastambide). One day, Taylor agrees to compete in an arranged match at the gym against Ibrahim (Bosh), a volatile and dangerous pro fighter. Despite Boss telling Taylor it’s a bad idea — Taylor doesn’t have Ibrahim’s experience...

Sports dramas of any kind demands an added level of physicality from their characters, something that Netflix’s latest Mma combat-based series, The Cage, exemplifies very well with its talented cast, who brought out the best from the narrative through their emphatic performances. Aside from this positive aspect, the series is going to attract a major number of combat sports nerds thanks to the number of cameo appearances by legendary Mma fighters, which almost made me think Dana White was going to pop up on the series at some point. Anyway, the inclusion of real-life stars brings a sense of realism into the narrative, and the fact that their appearances aren’t merely limited to blink-and-miss-it-type roles is an added bonus on top of everything.

Taylor Keita Played by Melvin Boomer

French breakdancer and actor Melvin Boomer has previously acted in the comedy drama movie Sage Homme and in the TV series World of Tomorrow,...

The five-episode French sports drama The Cage on Netflix takes viewers into the rough world of mixed martial arts by following the exciting journey of amateur fighter Taylor Keita, who dreams of becoming a UFC champion. The show, created by Franck Gastambide and David Krespine, turns the typical underdog story into a heart-pounding look at desire, sacrifice, and the never-ending quest for professional success.

The show comes to life in a loud UFC cage, with fans roaring and spotlights shining brightly. A voice cuts through the crowd and hints at a very interesting story: “This is a very special fight…a young man nobody believed in…” From this tense moment, the story jumps ahead eight months to meet Taylor Keita, an amateur fighter who is training in Boss’s gym and is driven by an unquenchable desire to break through the sport’s tough hurdles.

Melvin Boomer brings Taylor to...

Directed by Franck Gastambide and David Krespine, the Netflix series, The Cage, tells the tale of an amateur Mma fighter who wants to make it big in his field. Now, it is impossible to talk about a film centered around combat sports and not talk about the Rocky franchise. I do that because Sylvester Stallone, through his character of Rocky Balboa, set a benchmark, and it became impossible to view a film of a similar genre independently and not compare it with the celebrated franchise. What makes Rocky, or even Creed, great is its central conflict. In a situation of life or death, people do unexpected things that they think they are not capable of. But the only condition is that a conflict has to be so great, so impactful, and so penetrating that a character is pushed to the brink and stops caring about themselves. I believe that a...

The Cage, directed by Franck Gastambide and David Krespine, is the story of an underground fighter who, through his hard work and sheer determination, turned the odds in his favor and made his name in Mma. Taylor was very clear about the fact that mixed martial arts was not merely a hobby for him, he wanted to make it his profession. Firstly, he loved the sport, and secondly, he didn’t know anything else, so basically, he didn’t have much of an option. However, climbing the ladder of success was not going to be an easy task for Taylor. He had his share of struggles, but he never let his circumstances dictate the terms to him. He lost faith in himself a number of times during his journey, but every time, he bounced back and went ahead with more determination. So, let’s find out what happened in The Cage...

"You never believed I could win." Ouch! But he will win, right? Netflix has revealed an official trailer for a French series called The Cage, also known as La Cage in French, about an up-and-coming Mma fighter. Set to debut streaming on Netflix in November this fall. The Cage, the new Netflix series about the world of Mma. Dreaming of going pro, a young fighter struggles to be seen until an unexpected combat lands him a shot at the big time — and a brutal rival in the Cage. Melvin Boomer playing Taylor and real-life Mma legends star in this series created by the French actor Franck Gastambide. "The Cage is the entertaining and aspirational hero’s journey of an outsider in the sensational world of Mma." It also features two legendary Mma fighters: Jon Jones and Georges Saint-Pierre. All this footage available looks a lot like Creed or Rocky if...

Prime Video France has unveiled its slate of new originals and co-production titles, ranging from series, movies and unscripted shows. These include some sexy, comedic and action-packed titles such as “Culte – 2be3,” Yael Langmann’s series about the famed 1990’s French boys band; “Glamsquad” by Rebecca Zlotowski; Gaumont’s thriller “Carjarkers;” and new comedy format “Liars Club.” The service has also boarded season 2 of “Escort Boys” and war thriller “Dark Hearts,” as well as picked up Nick Cassavetes’ “Marked Men.”

“Glamsquad” is being developed by French filmmaker Rebecca Zlotowski whose latest film “Other People’s Children” competed at the Venice Film Festival in 2022. Co-written by Olivier Nicklaus and produced by Zlotowski’s regular partners at Paris-based Les Films Velvet, “Glamsquad” follows the flamboyant adventures of four young beauty experts with strong personalities who work closely with stars. Zlotowski will direct the series which will take place in Paris and other iconic locations,...

French actor Guillaume Canet is starring, writing and producing the new Netflix thriller Ad Vitam.

Rodolphe Lauga (It’s Complicated) is directing the action film, which has begun shooting in Paris. Netflix will release the movie worldwide next year.

Canet plays Franck Lazareff who, after surviving an attempt on his life, finds his wife has been kidnapped by a mysterious group of armed men. Trying to rescue her, Frank finds his past catching up with him. Stéphane Caillard, Nassim Lyes, Zita Hanrot and Alexis Manenti co-star.

Canet and Lauga co-wrote the script to Ad Vitam in association with David Corona and Canet is producing, together with Jean Cottin for the Cabanes shingle.

Canet recently directed himself as Gallic comic book hero Asterix in the live-action feature Asterix & Obelix: The Middle Kingdom and appeared in the French thriller Breaking Point. from director Yvan Attal. The multi-hyphenate has directed several films, including...

Warning: Major spoilers for Netflix's The Wages of Fear (2024) below!

The Wages of Fear ends with main character Fred sacrificing himself to save his brother and a village from an oil fire. The oil company double-crosses the drivers of the explosive truck convoy, leading to a tense showdown in the finale. Gauthier's greed and betrayal add unexpected twists to the story.

Netflix's remake of The Wages of Fear ends on a fittingly explosive note, but which characters survive to the closing credits? This 2024 Netflix movie involves a Parisian crew of mercenaries hired by an oil company to drive trucks filled with explosives across an unnamed, war-torn desert country. Adding to the crew's stressful task is that they have less than 24 hours to deliver the trucks to stop a blazing oil fire, while the nitroglycerin they are hauling is so unstable it could explode if the trucks get rocked too hard.

In a desert filled with lethal threats, a crew of Parisians must secure two truckloads of explosives to save hundreds of lives — in just 24 hours. Based on Henri-Georges Clouzot’s Palme d’Or–winning thriller of the same name, The Wages of Fear is directed by Julien Leclercq and co-written by Leclercq and Hamid Hlioua (Ganglands). The high-intensity remake stars Franck Gastambide, Alban Lenoir, and Ana Girardot.

Stream it now.

Check it out at the top of this page.

Mercenary Fred (Gastambide) is desperate to get out of the war-torn country he lives in and back home to Paris. But he needs money. So when oil company security director Anne (Whettnall) offers Fred $1 million to take on a risky mission, he’s quick to agree.

Except… the gig she’s offering him is a bit complicated. Fred is tasked with putting out the constantly burning fire at the oil well...

Warning: Major spoilers for The Wages of Fear (2024) below!

The Wages of Fear 2024 stars Franck Gastambide, not Vin Diesel, even if the resemblance between the stars is uncanny! Netflix's remake feels like a bland mix of Fast and Furious and Call of Duty. The 2024 remake of the classic original could have used Vin Diesel's star power.

Netflix's remake of The Wages of Fear sure looks like it stars Vin Diesel, so where is the confusion coming from? The original Wages of Fear is a nerve-shredding black-and-white thriller from 1953. This Henri-Georges Clouzot-helmed adventure sees a group of men hired to drive trucks filled with unstable nitroglycerine over dangerous terrority to extinguish a blazing oil fire. The movie is considered a classic now, with Christopher Nolan citing The Wages of Fear's focus on "pure suspense" as an inspiration for his 2017 war epic Dunkirk (via Premiere).

The film has been...

“The Wages of Fear”, a remake of the original 1950’s thriller, is directed by Julien Leclercq, starring Franck Gastambide, Sofiane Zermani, Alban Lenoir, Ana Girardot and Joseph Beddelem, now streaming on Netflix:

“…a powerhouse team has less than 24 hours to transport…

“… two trucks full of explosives across a hostile region and prevent a terrible catastrophe…”

Click the images to enlarge…...

The Wages of Fear is a French film directed by Julien Leclercq starring Franck Gastambide and Ana Girardot.

“The Wages of Fear” is a film based on Georges Arnaud’s novel, which, as you may already know, had a previous adaptation in 1953, directed by H.G. Clouzot. This has become a classic of French cinema and one of the best thrillers in film history.

In these current times, Julien Leclercq dares to create a new version of this story, modernizing it entirely and trying to maintain the character tension in this updated plot, although we’re not fully sure if it’s for the better.

It’s always a risk to compare yourself to a classic, but Julien Leclercq has the courage to try it.

Plot

To save a village during an oil extraction, four people must escort a convoy loaded with nitroglycerin in a desolate place, surrounded by armed gangs.

Another remake of classic – make that two classics – is headed to Netflix, as the streaming giant has just released the teaser for The Wages of Fear, first made in 1953 and later most notably remade by William Friedkin with 1977’s Sorcerer.

In the trailer, we see an explosion and the chaos of the aftermath, with a voice saying, “There is a gas pocket feeding the flames. To put it out, we need to blow it up.” This sets up the plot of The Wages of Fear, which finds a team driving to the location in trucks filled with nitro…and they’re on a timeline of just 24 hours.

Helmed by action director Julien Leclercq, The Wages of Fear looks to bring a lot more of his trademark action to the screen than its predecessors. Henri-Georges Clouzot’s original The Wages of Fear (Le Salaire de la peur) is, as far as I’m concerned,...

Netflix fights fire with fire in its upcoming remake of a suspense classic. Here’s a trailer for The Wages Of Fear.

The Wages Of Fear, the 1953 classic suspense thriller directed by Henri-Georges Clouzot, has already had one remake: William Friedkin’s Sorcerer, released in 1977. Both are intense, immersive films with grime on their skin and dirt under their fingernails, which makes it all the more odd that Netflix’s upcoming remake – also called The Wages Of Fear – has that pristine, flatly-lit look of an Expendables sequel.

The plot remains the same; it’s about a quartet of misfits who – in exchange for a big chunk of cash – agree to ferry trucks of high explosives across a rugged landscape. Their mission: to set off a huge detonation in the hopes of extinguishing an oil well fire.

This latest version is directed by Julien Leclercq, whose previous work includes the action thrillers Braquers,...

"To put it out, we need to blow it up." Roll on! Netflix has unveiled the first look teaser trailer for a French action thriller titled The Wages of Fear, the latest from filmmaker Julien Leclercq. This is set to launch streaming only on Netflix at the end of March. "They have 24 hours to drive two trucks full of nitroglycerin and prevent a terrible catastrophe." Similar to William Friedkin's Sorcerer, but in the desert! That film was based on the same French novel that was also made into the original 1953 film. In order to prevent a deadly explosion, an illicit crack team has 24 hours to drive two truckloads of nitroglycerine across a desert laden with danger. This is a remake of the classic 1950s French thriller of the same name - Le Salaire de la Peur or The Wages of Fear. Thankfully they're not turning it into a series,...

Prime Video has revealed its top traveling non-English local originals in the history of the service, with Spanish YA romance “My Fault” and French crime thriller “Medellín” topping the list.

Both are feature films that launched in the last two weeks across Prime Video’s footprint in 240 countries around the world. Interestingly, both titles have more than 75% of their viewership coming from outside their country of origin, though Prime Video hasn’t disclosed any further metrics related to ratings or impressions. Of the list (available in full below), 60% are movies and 40% are TV series.

While it makes sense for local originals like Prime Video’s unscripted format “Lol” to perform well in their home countries — “Big local stars and very local comedy — those don’t really travel beyond their borders,” explains James Farrell, VP of international originals for Amazon Studios — the reason the streamer is highlighting this crop of non-English...

Franck Gastambide’s 2023 French action-comedy Medellin is what you need if you want to kick back and enjoy some physical comedy but are also looking for a no-brainer action movie. This Fast & Furious knock-off, coming all the way from France, stars Franck Gastambide, Ramzy Bedia, Anouar Toubali, and also Mike Tyson in a guest appearance. While Mike’s name should be enough to go check out the movie, here’s a detailed breakdown of Medellin and all you need to know about it.

Spoilers Ahead

Why Do The Frenchmen Go To Colombia?

In France, mechanic Stan is contacted by his adoptive brother Reda, the local tough guy who runs a boxing dojo. Things have gone stupendously wrong because Reda’s brother Brahim’s obsession with the Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar has gotten him into a world of trouble. Brahim used to dress and style himself like the Narcos on social media,...

The 1953 original by Henri-Georges Clouzot won best film at Cannes, Berlin and Bafta.

Julien Leclercq is directing an untitled remake of Henri-Georges Clouzot’s 1953 thriller The Wages Of Fear for Netflix, starring Franck Gastambide, Alban Lenoir, Ana Girardot and Sofiane Zermani.

Netflix has also unveiled the first look from the project (image above) which is now in production.

The French-language film is being produced by Leclercq and Julien Madon’s outfit Labyrinthe Films with TF1 Studio. The script is by Leclercq and Hamid Hlioua.

The film is about four men hired to transport nitroglycerine through South America without the appropriate safety equipment.

Netflix has announced a remake of the 1950s French classic The Wages of Fear (Le Salaire de la Peur), in a production reuniting the platform with action-thriller maestro Julien Leclercq.

Production is currently underway on the untitled film for a scheduled release in 2024.

The 1953 original starred Yves Montand, Peter van Eyck, Charles Vanel and Folco Lulli as four down-on-their-luck men who are hired to drive trucks laden with nitroglycerine through the mountains as part of an operation to extinguish an oil well fire.

The work is regarded as one of the most suspenseful action-thrillers of all time.

Leclercq’s reboot stars Franck Gastambide, best known internationally for his role in Taxi 5, opposite Alban Lenoir (Lost Bullet), Ana Girardot (The House) and Sofiane Zermani (No Limit).

“To reunite this cast for the reboot of such a film, for a worldwide broadcast with Netflix, forces me to put all my heart and guts into it,...

Netflix is taking a swing at another film classic, rebooting the Henri-Georges Clouzot’s 1953 French adventure thriller The Wages of Fear.

Julien Leclercq, a French action director whose credits include 2010’s hijacking thriller The Assault, 2021’s Sentinelle starring Olga Kurylenko, and the Netflix crime series Ganglands, will adapt the original film, together with his Ganglands co-writer Hamid Hlioua.

Franck Gastambide, Alban Lenoir, Ana Girardot and Sofiane Zermani have signed on to star in the new, currently untitled, remake, which will roll out on Netflix worldwide next year.

“To reunite this cast for the reboot of such a film, for a worldwide broadcast with Netflix, forces me to put all my heart and guts into it,” said Leclercq. “The ambition is huge.”

Leclercq and Julien Madon will produce the film for Netflix via Labyrinthe Films and TF1 Studio.

Poster for the original ‘Wages of Fear’ (1953)

Clouzot and directed and co-wrote the...

"Yours is better. It has a sight." Amazon has revealed an official trailer for Medellín, a film by French actor / director Franck Gastambide. It's available for streaming on Prime Video worldwide in June, for anyone interested in it. To save his younger brother from a dangerous cartel in Medellín, Reda (played by Ramzy Bedia) has a plan that is as simple as it is completely insane: Assemble a team and plan a raid in Colombia. But this crazy adventure will spiral out of control when he decides to kidnap the cartel leader's son in order to exchange him for his brother’s life. Sounds like the kind of wacky comedy concept that Hollywood usually comes up with, but this is from France! The cast includes Anouar Toubali, Brahim Bouhlel, Raymond Cruz, and Essined Aponte, with a special appearance from Mike Tyson. You might be thinking–wait, Tyson in this? But...

Amazon Prime Video has come a long way since launching in France in 2016. The streamer, whose first French film original, “The Mad Women’s Ball,” recently picked up an International Emmy Award, unveiled a landmark deal with French guilds during a posh dinner with industry players and talent in Paris on Wednesday evening (Nov. 30).

On the guest list at the chic Lutetia Hotel was a laundry list of talent that’s in business with Prime Video, including Philippe Lacheau (“Lol”), Franck Gastambide (“Medellin”), Eloise Lang (“La Graine”), Melha Bedia (“Miskina”), Ziad Doueiri (“Coeurs Noirs”), as well as producers Alain Goldman, Pathé Films’ Ardavan Safaee, Mandarin’s Eric Altmayer, CG Cinema’s Charles Gillibert, Metropolitan FilmExport’s Victor Hadida, Newen’s Romain Bessi, and Asasha Group’s Gaspard de Chavagnac, among many others.

Announced by Brigitte Ricou-Bellan, Prime Video’s country manager in France, the four-year deal was signed with the guilds AnimFrance,...

Dujardin stars in comedy-drama Alphonse, written and directed by Nicolas Bedos.

Amazon Prime Video has unveiled a slate of seven new French original productions including projects from Jean Dujardin, Maïmouna Doucouré and Franck Gastambide.

Dujardin stars in comedy-drama Alphonse, written and directed by Nicolas Bedos and produced by Alain Goldman for Montmartre Films. Described as a “sharp-and-witty comedy”, it is based on an original idea by Dujardin and Bedos

Gastambide (creator of TV series Validé) has written and directed action comedy Medellín, about a young YouTuber fascinated by Pablo Escobar who gets kidnapped.

Maïmouna Doucouré follows up Sundance entry Cuties with coming-of-age film Hawa,...

Amazon Prime Video has unveiled seven new shows from the likes of Jean Dujardin, Nicolas Bedos, Franck Gastambide and Maïmouna Doucouré, while recommissioning Celebrity Hunted and Lol: Qui Rit, Sort!. in the region.

The new shows include Academy Award-winning The Artist star Dujardin’s Alphonse, based on an original idea by Dujardin and Bedos and produced by Alain Goldman, who recently signed a deal with Banijay.

The show was positioned by Amazon as a “surprising and funny take on comedy.”

Gastambide’s feature Medellín follows Pablito, a young YouTuber fascinated by Pablo Escobar, who makes his dream come true by flying to the Colombian city to walk in the notorious drug lord’s footsteps. A few days later, a video is posted on social media, showing that Pablito has been kidnapped by a group of dangerous Narcos.

Meanwhile, Federation Entertainment and Yvette Production’s comedy Clasico will be out later...

Amazon Prime in France has unveiled its upcoming slate of director-driven Originals, including ‘Hawa,’ a new movie by “Cuties” director Maimouna Doucouré, Nicolas Bedos’ TV debut “Alphonse” and Franck Gastambide’s “”Medellín.”

“Hawa” follows the coming-of-age tale of a teenage girl who lives with her grandmother and worries she will be removed by social services. She sets off to get adopted by someone she admires more than anything, one of the most powerful woman in the world. “Hawa” is produced by Bien ou Bien Productions.

The movie is currently in post-production and is expected to launch globally on the streamer later this year. As with “Cuties,” Doucouré’s feature debut which won the director prize at Sundance and was acquired by Netflix, “Hawa” will be headlined by first-time actors, including Grammy-winning singer and songwriter Oumou Sangaré, as well as the popular singer Yseult and Sania Halifa.

Doucouré discussed “Hawa” along...

"What if I told the police where you buried Barcelo?" Netflix has revealed the official trailer for a French action-thriller titled Restless, also known as Sans répit, arriving on Netflix later this month. Another of these French films about a sketchy cop getting into trouble. After going to extremes to cover up an accident, a corrupt cop's life spirals out of control when he starts receiving threats from a mysterious witness. When the investigation of the missing person is given to one of his colleagues, and an anonymous witness tries to blackmail him, things start to get really out of hand. Franck Gastambide stars, with Simon Abkarian, Michael Abiteboul, Tracy Gotoas, Jemima West, & Serge Hazanavicius. Damn this looks intense! When the French want to go big on action, they go all out with all kinds of explosive action. Check this out. Here's the official US trailer (+ poster) for Régis Blondeau's Restless,...

After breaking ground in France, Franck Gastambide’s hit Canal Plus show “All the Way Up” (“Validé”), a comedy drama series unfolding on France’s vibrant rap scene, is set to roll out around the world. Canneseries opened Friday with season two of the show.

Studiocanal has sold the edgy title to WarnerMedia Latin America, exclusively for HBO Max, and to Radio-Canada.

HBO Max, which recently launched in 39 territories in Latin America and the Caribbean, will premiere season one of the half-hour series. Radio-Canada’s Ott platform Ici Tou.TV Extra has acquired both the first and second seasons.

The show marked the TV debut of Gastambide, one of France’s most successful directors who previously delivered top-grossing local comedies such as “Porn in the Hood” (“Les Kaira”), “Pattaya” and the latest instalment of the action franchise “Taxi 5.” And like everything Gastambide is doing, the series has gone viral,...

Canneseries, the French Riviera-set festival dedicated to international drama series, will kick off Oct. 8 with “All The Way Up” (“Validé), a half-hour show taking place in the French rap scene.

“All The Way Up” was created and directed by Franck Gastambide (“Taxi 5”) who also stars in the series. Commissioned by Canal Plus’ Creation Originale label, “All The Way Up” has been a ratings hit, leading the pay TV group to order a second season which is set to launch in October. Studiocanal represents “All The Way Up” in international markets.

Albin Lewi, the artistic Director of Canneseries, pointed out the first season of the show was expected to premiere at Canneseries last year but “the health conditions have chosen differently.”

“The series received the Audience Award in Canneseries in 2020; since then, we wanted to welcome the second season for the 2021 edition,” said Lewi.

“It’s impossible to miss on...

Netflix officially opened its offices in Paris a year ago today and to mark the anniversary the streamer has confirmed details of four upcoming projects.

On the film side, Guillaume Pierret will direct a sequel to his 2020 action pic Lost Bullet, which was a hit for Netflix, attracting more than 37 million viewers in its first four weeks, the company said.

Also in film, Régis Blondeau will remake the 2014 Korean film A Hard Day as A Tombeau Ouvert, starring Franck Gastambide and Simon Abkarian.

In TV, the company confirmed production today on two new series including The 7 lives Of Lea, created by Charlotte Sanson and produced by Empreinte Digitale. The cast will feature Raïka Hazanavicius, Khalil Ben Gharbia, Mélanie Doutey and Samuel Benchetrit. The story follows a woman who stumbles upon the body of Ismael, a teenager who disappeared thirty years earlier, with the event taking her back to 1991 and seeing...

Netflix, hot off the international success of its crime comedy series Lupin, starring Omar Sy, has unveiled a slate of new French-language productions.

On Tuesday, exactly a year after opening offices in Paris, the global streaming giant announced its new French slate, which includes several French-language action movies and new drama series. Among the greenlit films are the thriller A tombeau ouvert, Régis Blondeau’s adaptation of the Korean actioner A Hard Day (2014), starring Franck Gastambide and Simon Abkarian, and two sequels: a follow-up to On the Other Side of the Tracks from Louis Leterrier, starring Omar Sy, and the sequel to Guillaume ...

Netflix, hot off the international success of its crime comedy series Lupin, starring Omar Sy, has unveiled a slate of new French-language productions.

On Tuesday, exactly a year after opening offices in Paris, the global streaming giant announced its new French slate, which includes several French-language action movies and new drama series. Among the greenlit films are the thriller A tombeau ouvert, Régis Blondeau’s adaptation of the Korean actioner A Hard Day (2014), starring Franck Gastambide and Simon Abkarian, and two sequels: a follow-up to On the Other Side of the Tracks from Louis Leterrier, starring Omar Sy, and the sequel to Guillaume ...

Amazon Prime Video France today published details of its upcoming slate of productions, including four new originals:

Greek Salad is a contemporary sequel to the movie trilogy L’Auberge Espagnole (Pot Luck), 20 years after the originals. It follows the lives of Tom and Mia (the children of Xavier and Wendy from L’Auberge Espagnole) as they embark on a new adventure in Athens. The eight episode series is created by Cédric Klapisch, with Lola Doillon and Antoine Garceau (Call my Agent). The show will be co-produced by Bruno Levy for Ce Qui Me Meut and will launch exclusively on Prime Video in 2022.

Flashback is the second Amazon original movie produced in France. This one is a time travel comedy starring comedian Caroline Vigneaux, with Sophia Aram, Suzanne Clément, Lison Daniel, Gad Elmaleh, Lannick Gautry, Emy Ltr, Florent Peyre and Sylvie Testud. It is produced by Alain Goldman for Legende Films and...

New slate includes projects spearhead by filmmaker Cédric Klapisch and Ballsy Girl actress Melha Bedia.

Amazon Prime Video has unveiled a new slate of French original productions, including Cédric Klapisch’s drama Greek Salad, a spin-off of his 2002 hit feature Pot Luck (L’Auberge Espagnole), about a group of students from across Europe living in a flat in Barcelona together.

The new series follows the lives of the children of two of the original characters as they embark on a new adventure in Athens.

Kaplisch has created the eight-episode drama with Lola Doillon and Antoine Garceau, who both took credits (like...

Dominated by the charisma of Swedish-Lebanese lead Fares Fares, a “Westworld” co-star, “Partisan,” a Warner Bros.- production for Scandinavia’s Nordic Entertainment Group (Nent) walked off Wednesday evening with best series at the 3rd Canneseries TV festival.

Due to play on Nent’s SVOD service Viaplay, the slow burning and unsettling Nordic Noir sees Fares Fares’ character, Johnny, accept a job at an closed gate organic food farm which is some kind of front for far more sinister activities.

Co-created by Amir Chandin and Fares and sold by Federation Entertainment, “Partisan” was part of a 10-title Canneseries competition which painted this year a fairly disturbing portrait of contemporary world.

“Although all the shows at Canneseries were made before Covid-19, they are still often very dark and often treat weighty social issues,” Albin Levi, Canneseries artistic director, told Variety.

Cannes’ special interpretation prize and student award went to the ensemble cast of “Red Light,...

More than 20,000 people took the streets of Paris, France, to support Black Lives Matter protests and demand justice for Adama Traoré, a young black man who, like George Floyd, was killed due to suspected police brutality in July 2016.

Shouting “no justice, no peace,” the demonstrators gathered in front of the French capital’s court house and called for the end of racism and impunity. The protest had not been authorized by the prefect of Paris due to the ban on gatherings of more than 10 people during the coronavirus crisis. Although it started peacefully, several incidents and clashes with police were later reported. Similar protests were also staged in other cities across the country, including Lille.

On Monday, some peaceful protesters from the French anti-racism organization Sos Racisme and other associations also gathered near the U.S. embassy in Paris in solidarity with Black Lives Matter.

Since the killing of George...

Competition titles include UK’s Trying, Norway’s Atlantic Crossing and Israel’s Losing Alice.

Disney’s Star Wars-spin-off The Mandalorian will open the third edition of Canneseries, running March 27 to April 1 alongside the Miptv content market, as the event unveiled its full line-up today (February 26).

The series’ big-screen splash in Cannes’s Palais des Festivals will coincide with the launch of the new Disney+ streaming service in the UK, Ireland, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Austria and Switzerland on March 24.

One of the most high-profile original series commissioned for the new platform, The Mandalorian is expected to be a...

Paris — AMC’s “The Walking Dead: World Beyond,” Amazon Prime’s “Upload,” and Apple TV’s “Trying” will make their international premieres at the 3rd edition of Canneseries, which will run from March 27 to April 1.

The Riviera-set fest will host tributes to David Hasselhoff (“Baywatch”), “Sharp Object” and “Euphoria” breakout Sydney Sweeney, and “Transparent” star Judith Light, before closing with the world premiere of “The Bureau,” Season 5.

Producer Gale Anne Hurd will lead this year’s jury alongside actors Ncuti Gatwa (“Sex Education”), Camille Cottin (“Call My Agent”) and Katja Herbers (“Westworld”), director Tawfik Abu Wael (“Our Boys”) and rocker Steward Copeland.

Pay-tv service Canal Plus will bring two high-profile French language offerings, launching the final season premiere of their spy thriller “The Bureau” and the series premiere of their hip-hop drama “Validé,” which was co-created by popular local star Franck Gastambide.

Of then ten series in the festival’s highly selective competition,...

The Paris-based shingle Other Angle has closed a raft of sales on “A Good Doctor,” a French comedy that is having its market premiere on Thursday at the American Film Market.

Directed by Tristan Séguéla, “A Good Doctor” stars French actor Michel Blanc as Serge, a visiting doctor who is tired after 20 years of service and sends a food delivery guy (Hakim Jemili) to visit his patients for him on Christmas Eve. The film also stars Solene Rigot and Franck Gastambide.

Other Angle has sold the film to Germany (Square One), Italy (Medusa), Canada (Az films), Brazil (Pandora), Belgium (Vertigo) and Switzerland (Pathé). Apollo will release the film in France on Dec. 11.

The company’s Afm slate also include David Lanzmann’s thriller “Savage Days,” currently in production, as well as “Simone,” Olivier Dahan’s film starring Elsa Zylberstein as Simone Veil. The movie will be released in France in...

Pierre Niney stars as a hero firefighter.

Hit French fireman drama Through The Fire, starring Pierre Niney as a hero firefighter who is badly disfigured rescuing colleagues, has secured fresh deals for WTFilms.

The Paris-based sales company has sold the film to Spain (A contracorriente), Portugal (Outsider), the UK (Signature), Poland (Hagi), Switzerland (Jmh) and Russia (channel 1).

Previously announced deals include to China (Lemon Tree), Canada (A-z Films), Latin America (California Filmes), Hong Kong (Edko), Taiwan (MovieCloud), Korea (EnterMode), Belgium (Athena Films) and Greece (Odeon). Encore has picked it up for airlines. The film, which is distributed by Mars in France,...

After bouncing back in 2017, the overseas box office revenue of French movies plummeted by 51% to 237 million euros ($270 million) with 40 million admissions sold, a 52% year-on drop, in 2018.

The provisional box office figures were unveiled by UniFrance during a reception hosted at France’s culture minister during which Eric Toledano and Olivier Nakache, the directors of “The Intouchables” and most recently “C’est La Vie” received the French Cinema Award.

Co-produced and sold by Gaumont, “C’est La Vie” grossed over 15 million overseas and was the second biggest French hit in international markets in 2018, following the EuropaCorp-produced “Taxi 5,” an action-packed film directed by Franck Gastambide.

The other French films ranking in the top 10 of 2018 include Dany Boon’s “La Ch’tite Famille” (Pathé), “Belle and Sebastian, Friends for Life” (Gaumont), the animated film “White Fang” (Sc Films International), “Rolling to You” (Gaumont), “Big Bad Fox & Other Tales” (StudioCanal), “The Young Karl Marx...

Fireman drama has drawn 1m spectators at the French box office since release late November release.

WTFilms is reporting strong buyer interest in French director Fréderic Tellier’s breakout hit Through The Fire (Sauver ou Périr), starring Pierre Niney as a hero fireman who is badly disfigured while rescuing colleagues from a burning building.

The film has sold to China (Lemon Tree), Canada (A-z Films), Latin America (California Filmes), Hong Kong (Edko), Taiwan (MovieCloud), Korea (EnterMode), Belgium (Athena Films) and Greece (Odeon). Encore has picked it up for airlines.

Paris-based sales company WTFilms is expecting to seal further deals at...

After recording its third-highest number in the last 50 years in 2017, French theatrical admissions are on track for a 4% drop this year, with an estimated 201 million sold. In dollar terms, however, the French box office is expected to clock in at about €1.3 billion ($1.5 billion), on par with last year, bolstered by the increase of ticket sales for premium large formats such as Imax, Dolby Cinema and 4Dx.

While fewer Hollywood blockbusters drew in French audiences compared with last year, two domestic films managed to sell more than 5 million tickets (grossing more than $37 million each) and four ranked in the top 10. A pair of French comedies released by Pathé, “Les Tuche 3” and Dany Boon’s “La ch’tite famille,” ranked second and third, behind Disney’s “Incredibles 2,” which took in about $44.5 million.

The other top-grossing French films of 2018 were Gilles Lellouche’s “Sink or Swim” (pictured), a star-driven dramedy about a men’s synchronized swimming team,...

Preliminary figures show admissions were down 1.9% for first six months of 2018.

A heatwave and World Cup fever, as the French team secured its place in the semi-finals of the World Cup, taking place in Russia throughout June and July, have dented France’s box office for the first half of 2018.

Preliminary figures released by the Cnc on July 6 showed admissions were down 1.9% for first six months of the year, coming in at 103m entries against 105m in the same period for 2017. On a sliding year basis, admissions for the 12-month period to end-June stood at 207.4m against 211m for the period in the previous year,...

Company to re-focus on Besson’s signature action and sci-fi films.

Luc Besson’s struggling Paris-based film empire EuropaCorp has released a set of final results for the 2017-18 year that suggest the heavily indebted company is turning a corner.

According to the figures released after the close of the Paris Bourse on Wednesday evening, the company posted a $95m (€82.5m) net loss for the year ending March 31, 2018, against the record $135.8m (€119.9m) loss of last year.

As previously announced in preliminary results published in May, EuropaCorp’s overall turnover rose 49% to $261.7m (€226.5m), from $175.3m (€151.7m) in 2016-2017 bolstered...

Poor box office performance of English-language slate, including Miss Sloane and The Circle, to blame.

Luc Besson’s mini-major EuropaCorp has posted a company record losses of $136m (€119.9m) for the 2016-17 financial year.

In a statement released in Paris on Wednesday morning (July 28), the company said consolidated revenue rose 3% to $171m (€151.7m) but net operating cash flows had fallen dramatically to $2.7m (€2.4m) for 2016-17, down from $92m (€81m) in the previous financial year.

The slight increase in consolidated revenue had been driven by foreign sales and an increase in Svod and TV sales to the Us, EuropaCorp said.

EuropaCorp had already officially announced in February that the company would post losses in 2016-17 that were “substantially higher” than losses in previous financial years. The company did not give further details but local media and entertainment analysts suggested a figure of around €35m ($39m).

The company said the losses were due mainly to the poor box...

Rachid Bouchareb directing multi-language project from Larry Gross screenplay.

Patrick Wachsberger and his Lionsgate International team have begun talks with buyers on Rachid Bouchareb’s multi-language action comedy Belleville Cop starring Omar Sy.

Production has begun in Paris on the story of Baaba, a police officer who has refused promotions so he can continue to work in his beloved working class neighbourhood.

When a childhood friend from Miami gets killed after he comes to warn of encroaching drug gangs, Baaba moves to Miami and teams up with a local officer to bring down the criminals.

Sy, who broke out in 2012 smash Intouchables, stars with Luis Guzman, Algerian actress Biyouna, Julie Ferrier, Franck Gastambide and Diem Ngyen. Another 48 Hrs. co-writer Larry Gross wrote the screenplay.

Davis Films’ Samuel Hadida will produce Belleville Cop with Tessalit Films, and Hadida’s Metropolitan FilmExport will distribute in France in late spring 2018 and holds Us rights.

“We are thrilled...

Omar Sy and Luis Guzman are heading up an international cast for Rachid Bouchareb's action comedy Belleville Cop for Lionsgate.

The Intouchables and Jurassic World star is joined by Luis Guzman (Keanu, We’re the Millers), Algerian actress Biyouna, Cesar-nominated French actress Julie Ferrier (Heartbreaker, Claude Lelouch’s Everyone’s Life), French actor Franck Gastambide and Diem Ngyen. Lionsgate will introduce Belleville Cop, which it is dubbing a multi-language film, to foreign buyers at the Cannes market (the dialogue is a mix of French, English and Spanish).

Sy plays Baaba Keita, who has built his whole life in the working-class Paris neighborhood of...