While dozens and dozens of countries have been selecting their sole choices to enter in to the Best Foreign Film Oscar race, we’ve been bringing you some of the highlights. The frontrunner seems to be Michael Haneke‘s Amour, but a major competitor has just entered the ring from France.
The Intouchables, a drama about a friendship between a disabled man and his caretaker (which we loved), already grossed around a massive $365 million worldwide (about $9 million of that thanks to The Weinstein Company’s US release), is France’s pick. Eric Toledano and Olivier Nakache‘s drama was already nominated nine times for the Academy Award equivalent in its native country, the Cesar awards, and now it will try for the real thing come this fall season. With Harvey Weinstein behind the campaign, expect it to certainly stand-out. And like any successful foreign film, a remake has been in the works since earlier this year with Bridesmaids helmer Paul Feig directing Oscar winner Colin Firth.
We’ve finally got an update that it will indeed be Feig’s next film, after he finishes up the Melissa McCarthy and Sandra Bullock comedy The Heat. Speaking with The Playlist, he said, “I finished a draft before we did this and there’s a rewrite I want to do, to make it even better. It’s one of those nerve-wracking things, so I’m just powering through it. It’s an adaptation of that movie, and that movie is so good, so I’m trying not to stray too much, structurally, but it’s actually kind of fun to write, because I’m Americanizing it, and putting my voice in it, but trying not to mess it up. I’m really excited about this one. The French version is one of the most loveable films. It’s a crowd-pleaser. Colin and I know who I want for the other role, but I can’t say yet.” With production gearing up for this fall, expect news on who’ll star soon.
Did you see the original? Are you looking forward to Feig’s version?