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Michel Blanc, a prominent French actor renowned for his versatility in both comedic and dramatic roles, died on October 4th from a heart attack following an allergic reaction. He was 72 years old. Blanc made his mark in the 1978 comedy “Les Bronzés” and its sequels, earning fame for his portrayal of an awkward bachelor. While comedy brought him widespread popularity, he worked hard to show his talents extended beyond it.

Blanc received critical acclaim for his dramatic turns, like winning Best Actor at the 1986 Cannes Film Festival for “Tenue de Soirée.” He also gained recognition for his skills as a writer, taking home a Best Screenplay award at Cannes in 1994 for his self-referential comedy “Grosse Fatigue.” Later in his career, he earned a César for Best Supporting Actor in the 2011 political drama “L’Exercice de l’État.”

Beyond acting, Blanc proved talented behind the scenes as well. He directed several successful films and wrote their scripts,...

Blanc, who also starred in 1978 comedy Les Bronzés, was the veteran ‘worried clown’ of French cinema

Michel Blanc, beloved by generations for bringing a comic quality to even his saddest characters including losers and hypochondriacs, died on Friday aged 72, his family told Afp.

President Emmanuel Macron paid tribute, saying: “He made us cry with laughter, and moved us to tears”, and calling him “a monument of French cinema”.

Michel Blanc, the legendary French actor best known for his roles in the Les Bronzés films and Monsieur Hire, has died. He was 72.

He died early Friday morning at a Parisian hospital after suffering a heart attack the previous night, according to Agence France-Presse (Afp).

France’s President Emmanuel Macron also paid tribute to Blanc on X (formerly Twitter), writing, “He made us cry with laughter and moved us to tears. A monument of French cinema, Michel Blanc has gone. Our thoughts go out to his loved ones and his acting accomplices.”

Born on April 16, 1952, in Courbevoie (Hauts-de-Seine), France, Blanc had a passion for classical music from a young age. But he later changed direction and co-founded the Le Splendid troupe, a café-théâtre company, in the 1970s with his friends, Christian Clavier, Gérard Jugnot, Thierry Lhermitte, Josiane Balasko, Marie-Anne Chazel, Bruno Moynot and Claire Magnin.

As for his film projects,...

French actor Michel Blanc, best known for his roles in Le Splendid troupe comedy films like the 1978 cult classic Les Bronzés (French Fried Vacation) and its subsequent 1979 and 2006 sequels, died early Oct. 4 at 72 of a heart attack following anaphylactic shock, per the Agence France-Presse.

A fixture in French cinema, his death was mourned by president Emmanuel Macron, who wrote on X: “He made us cry with laughter and moved us to tears. A monument of French cinema, Michel Blanc is gone. Our thoughts go out to his loved ones and his acting accomplices.”

The French Minister of Culture, Rachida Dati, added in a statement: “This morning the sorrow is immense, as great as his talent. In front of the camera of Bertrand Blier, Robert Altman or Pierre Schoeller, Michel Blanc amazed us with the variety of his acting, but also with his talents as a director with films like “Marche à l’ombre...

Michel Blanc, the French actor best known for his role in “Les Bronzés” (“French Fried Vacation”), died Friday morning of a heart attack precipitated by anaphylactic shock. He was 72 years old.

Blanc’s death was shared by his family with Agence France-Presse. He was remembered online by French President Emmanuel Macron, who wrote on X, “He made us cry with laughter and moved us to tears. A monument of French cinema, Michel Blanc has gone. Our thoughts go out to his loved ones and his acting accomplices.”

Prime Minister Michel Barnier also shared a remembrance for Blanc. “We all have a little bit of Michel Blanc in us. From the offbeat confidence of Jean-Claude Dusse to the seriousness of Gilles in ‘L’Exercice de l’État’, he made us laugh and think. With his unforgettable role in ‘Je vous trouve très beau’ [‘You Are So Beautiful’], he knew how to move us. Today, like...

Michel Blanc, the French actor known for the “Les Bronzés” films and crime drama “Monsieur Hire,” has died. He was 72.

Blanc died early Friday morning after suffering a heart attack the previous night, according to Agence France-Presse (Afp).

Blanc was known for his role as the awkward bachelor Jean-Claude Dusse in the 1978 film “Les Bronzés” (“French Fried Vacation”), directed by Patrice Leconte. He starred in the 1979 and 2006 follow-up films to the cult French comedy.

Blanc was also revered for his dramatic performances in film, including in Leconte’s 1989 crime thriller “Monsieur Hire,” where he played the titular character. In 2012, Blanc received the César for best supporting actor for “L’Exercice de l’État” (“The Minister”), written and directed by Pierre Schoeller.

Blanc directed, co-wrote and starred in the 1984 film “Marche à l’ombre” and 2002’s “Summer Things.” Additional film credits include “Les Filles de Malemort” (1974), “Let Joy Reign Supreme” (1975), “The Best...

Gérard Depardieu and Michel Blanc in Tenue De Soirée: 'All at once, I had become an actor who was interesting enough for film directors known for their cinéma d’auteur' Photo: UniFrance One of French cinema’s major acting talents Michel Blanc who was part of the fabled cafe-theatre comedy troupe Le Splendide alongside the likes of Gérard Jugnot, Thierry Lhermitte and Josiane Balasko, has died after a heart attack at the age of 72.

Blanc who made his name in such cult comedy hits as Les Bronzés in 1978, moved to more dramatic roles in such dramas as Tenue De Soirée by Bertrand Blier opposite Gérard Depardieu (for which he scored a Cannes Film Festival best actor award), and also carved out a successful career as a director. His screenplay for Grosse fatigue in 1994 won him another Cannes award.

In one interview he explained the importance of Tenue De Soirée: “That film changed my career.

For more than two decades, the Neuchatel International Fantastic Film Festival (Nifff) has been a draw for genre filmmakers from across the globe and a pull for Swiss youth. Heading into its 22nd edition, which runs June 30 – July 8, the lakeside event will once again showcase the kind outré and audacious fare that Neuchatel’s reliable and devoted young public has come to expect, while continuing to bridge outward, welcoming more unfamiliar faces into the fold.

“By instinct, influence, and mutual attraction, genre cinema will always appeal to the young,” says Nifff director Pierre-Yves Walder. “In fact, Nifff attracts one of the youngest publics of any Swiss festival, but I’d like to convert different audiences of perhaps different ages as well. And not just for commercial reasons; I find it so interesting and essential to mix things up.”

Showcasing 124 films, including eight world premieres and seven international launches, this year...

The Party Films Sales will screen exclusive images from Julien Guetta’s second feature film “Top Dogs” (“Les Cadors”) at Unifrance Rendez Vous in Paris.

“Top Dogs” is a comedy drama about two estranged brothers from Normandy. Antoine is happily married with two kids and a successful boat driver, whereas Christian is a globe-trotting hustler. When Antoine becomes involved in sleazy activities, Christian comes to his rescue. The film is headlined by Jean-Paul Rouve, the star of one of France’s biggest comedy franchises, “Les Tuches,” as well as Michel Blanc, another French comedy fixture (“Les bronzés”) and Grégoire Ludig (“Mandibules”).

“Top Dogs” marks the sophomore outing of Guetta whose feature debut “The Troubleshooter,” a comedy-adventure, garnered more than 145,000 admissions in France.

Currently in post-production, “Top Dogs” is produced by Maxime Delauney and Romain Rousseau at Nolita Cinéma, and Lionel Dutemple and Benjamin Morgaine at Princesse Beli. It was mainly shot in Cherbourg,...

Beijing-based exec has been with the studio for 42 years.

Warner Bros executive vice president Richard Fox, who relocated to Beijing in 2015, is stepping away from his executive responsibilities this summer.

Fox has been with Warner Bros for 42 years and served as executive vice president, international, for the last 25 years. He moved to Beijing to drive Warner Bros’ activities in China, including its joint venture with China Media Capital (Cmc), Flagship Entertainment.

“Anywhere you go in the world, people in the film business love and respect Richard,” said Warner Bros chairman and CEO Kevin Tsujihara. “He knows the markets, he knows the players and he’s been an incredible executive and ambassador for the company…I thank him for his many contributions to the company and join his Warner Bros colleagues around the world in wishing him all the best.”

Fox spearheaded Warner Bros’ local-language production activities, which have included films such as Patrice Leconte’s Les Bronzés 3, [link...

Final Update, Monday 4:49 Pm Pt: Across the Top 10 major studio releases internationally there’s reason for some holiday cheer. This weekend’s figures are up 19.4% over last frame with The Hobbit: The Battle Of The Five Armies leading the pack at $89M, plus strong perfs from Exodus: Gods And Kings in new key markets and the Night At The Museum finale. Still, that result is down from last year, largely due to the impact that Frozen was having on the season with a $50.5M take in the comparable frame. Five Armies in the estimates is also about 9.3% off from Smaug’s performance last year, but there are those nasty currency fluctuations to take into account.

Still, it a big weekend for local titles. Last frame’s Indian release Pk added Bollywood flair to the international box office with an offshore haul of $14.3M for a global cume of $61.46M.

PARIS -- A film about a band of trashy, loud-mouthed 50-something characters on vacation has captured the imagination of French filmgoers, smashing a series of boxoffice records in France, and raking in €39 million ($46.4 million) from 950 screens nationwide in the two weeks since its Feb. 1 opening. Les Bronzes 3: Amis Pour La Vie has had a phenomenal take-off, with opening week tally of 3.9 million tickets sold surpassing previous French opening-week toppers Asterix and Obelix: Mission Cleopatra (3.7 million), Taxi: 2 (3.5 million) and Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (3.1 million). But this is no ordinary sequel -- the six raucous characters featured in Amis have become French cultural icons since they starred in their debut film Les Bronzes (The Suntanned Ones) in 1978. Set at a Club Med resort on the Ivory Coast, the first film parodied the pettiness of brash young French tourists in the 1970s, who equated vacations with sexual conquests.