We’ve have some exciting news on three arthouse projects tonight. First up is an acquisition update for Rust & Bone, Jacques Audiard’s follow-up to the excellent A Prophet and a film high up on our most-anticipated of the year list. Starring Marion Cotillard, the film telling a series of short stories, has been picked up by Sony Pictures Classics. Written by Audiard and Thomas Bidegain from the Craig Davidson‘s stories, I’d expect a Cannes premiere for this one. [THR]

As expected, Deadline reports that Focus Features and Participant Media will team on Gus Van Sant’s next drama, a film that was supposed to be Matt Damon‘s directorial debut. With the actor too busy, he will star in the drama with John Krasinski, and we have the title: Promised Land. Inspired by the work of Frank Capra, the film centers on two corporate executives competing with one another and Frances McDormand rounds out the initial cast.

The $15 million film was spearheaded by Krasinski, who “had resonance in the current climate of economic hardship caused by corporate greed.” The outlet reports that he went straight to Dave Eggers to pay him for the rights his first draft, which he then showed to Damon and the duo rewrote together. With production kicking off late spring, don’t expect this one until next year.

Lastly, it isn’t acquisition news but now have an idea of when we’ll see Laurent Cantet’s follow-up to The Class. He has been working on a adaptation of Joyce Carol Oates‘ Foxfire for some time now and in an interview with Peterborough Examiner (via The Playlist), producers revealed the the film is “being prepped” to launch at Toronto International Film Festival, instead of Cannes which we half-expected. Check out a synopsis below.

Upstate New York, 1953, a working class neighborhood in a small town. In this violent post-war culture controlled by men, a group of headstrong teenage girls unite into a sisterhood of blood: they form the Foxfire gang, a secret female-only society, recognized by the flame tattooed on the back of its members’ shoulders.

“Foxfire” for pretty foxes, but also “Foxfire” for fire and destruction.

Legs, Maddy, Lana, Rita and Goldie cannot accept any longer to be humiliated and discriminated against for being poor, and being girls. Headed by the feisty Legs, the girls set on a trip for revenge, and try to pursue their impossible dream: living according to their own rules and laws, no matter what. But there’s a price to pay…

Which of these promising projects are you most looking forward to?