Woody Allen might still be persona non grata for many in the U.S., but international distributors will likely be clamoring to see his new film, Coup de Chance, which will be presented to buyers at the upcoming European Film Market.
WestEnd Films, in collaboration with Gravier Productions, will kick off sales for the film in Berlin next week.
Allen’s 50th feature marks the director’s French-language debut and features an ensemble cast of local stars, including Lou De Laâge (The Innocents), Valérie Lemercier (Aline), Melvil Poupaud (Summer of 85) and Niels Schneider (Heartbeats).
In a statement, Allen called the the movie a “story of romance, passion and violence set in contemporary Paris. Shot all over the city and a little bit in the countryside, it evolves around a romance between two young people who are old friends and devolves into marital infidelity and ultimately crime.”
The movie reunites Allen with his Oscar-winning cinematographer Vittorio Storaro, who lensed the director’s Cafe Society and A Rainy Day in New York. Several frequent collaborators, including editor Alisa Lepselter (Midnight in Paris, Blue Jasmine) and costume designer Sonia Grande (Midnight in Paris, To Rome With Love) return on Coup de Chance. The film co-stars Grégory Gadebois (An Officer and a Spy), Anne Loiret (Blue is the Warmest Colour), Sara Martins (Little White Lies), Guillaume de Tonquédec (Delicious), Arnaud Viard (Emily in Paris), and Elsa Zylberstein (Simone: Woman of the Century).
“We’re thrilled to continue our long-lasting collaboration with Woody Allen and his team,” said WestEnd Films managing director Maya Amsellem. “Coup de Chance has all the elements of an exciting modern thriller with a stellar French cast, and we can’t wait to share it with buyers all around the world.”
Finding a buyer for the U.S. market could prove challenging. Allen has faced a Hollywood backlash after the #MeToo movement put a renewed focus on decades-old charges by his adopted daughter, Dylan Farrow, that the director molested her when she was 7. In 2016, Amazon pulled out of a multi-year deal with Allen that would have seen the streamer pay between $68 million and $73 million for multiple films from the New York auteur. The director’s last two films, Rifkin’s Festival and A Rainy Day in New York, were released by the small independent MPI Media Group.
But despite the controversy, Allen has continued to work, and be celebrated, in Europe. Coup de Chance, currently in post, will likely find eager buyers at this year’s EFM.