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5/22/00 According to a juicy Hollywood Reporter article dated Apr 11,2000, Depardieu and John Malkovich are starring in Napolean, a miniseries for TV pubcaster France 2. The subject is, as you may guess, Napolean, who will be played by Christian Clavier (Depardieu's co-star from Asterix and Obelix). The budget on the film is $30 million. It will be four 100 minute episodes, supposedly shot in English and French. They're seeking a US co-producer on the film.
GMT, the producers, also produced the other recent Depardieu costume TV hits, Count of Monte Cristo, Balzac, and Les Miserables. The director will be Christian Duguay (CBS's Joan of Arc). Depardieu is one of the co-producers on this picture. Shooting is scheduled for Feb of 2001 with delivery slated for end of 2001. The script (written by Didier Becoin, who did Count, Balzac, and Les Miserables scripts) is in development, but will supposedly involve the end of Napolean's career and the hypothesis that he was poisoned. Malkovich will play "the influential minister Tallyrand." Depardieu's role is still being decided.
GMT is also developing The Three Muskateers and The Hunchback of Notre Dame as TV movies. Let's hope starring GD! I read in a separate interview that he has always wanted to play Quasimoto. I'm very excited about all these mini-series. Personally, I thought Count of Monte Cristo was the greatest thing since sliced bread, and if they're all of this quality and starring GD, I'm going to be a happy woman.
According to the same above Hollywood Reporter story, Les Miserables is slated to air in France this summer. Hopefully, Bravo will continue the tradition it started with Count and Balzac and bring it over to the US for us English-speaking viewers.
And *also* according to the same Hollywood Reporter story (I told you it was juicy!) Depardieu and Clavier has signed on to do a sequel to Asterix and Obelix vs. Caesar called Asterix and Cleopatra.
In a separate article by the same formidable source, Depardieu's film, Vidocq, described as a French costume thriller, will have the distinction of being the world's first feature film shot in high-definition. It is being shot with a special digital camera. George Lucas' next Star Wars movie was to use this technology, but it has been pushed back, making Vidocq the first. The film has a $25 million budget and is being directed by first-time director Pitof (visual effects supervisor on Alien Resurrection). It is a fictional story based on a real person -- a 19th century ex-con who became chief of French police and founded the first French detective agency." (Sounds a little like a French Sherlock Holmes starring Depardieu. Killer!) This film begins shooting in mid May in Paris, so this is probably where M. Depardieu is right now. (Vidocq, by the way, is the name of Depardieu's character.)
This from a Hollywood Reporter article dated Jan 21-23, 2000: "Euroset is currently co-producing the miniseries "Dune" with U.S. Network and recently sold the U.S. rights to its "Les Misérables," which is now in production, starring John Malkovich and Gerard Depardieu, to Fox Family Network." This is interesting. I hadn't known Malkovich was in Les Misérables or that it had been in production as recently as January. Let's hope Fox will show it shortly after its French air date of "Summer 2000."
Depardieu and Louis Vuitton. Depardieu was one of celebrities posed with a Vuitton soccer ball by photographer Yanou Collart. The result is a coffee-table book, "Rebounds." Each photograph is "impressably imaginative and a surprise." The book also contains photos of lots of other famous celes-mit-ball including Pavoratti, Harvey Keitel and a lot of other people who aren't GD. It retailed for $35 and I think it came out last Christmas. Amazon doesn't have a clue. If anyone's seen this drop me a line.
5/19/00 Site Launch
As the latest news is archived off the front page, it will go here. For now check out these news stories on our site:
Depardieu at Cannes 2000 for unveiling of new film Vatel -- Press pages
All the news about Depardieu's film Vatel, including pics -- Project pages
News about Depardieu's upcoming US film, 102 Dalmations -- Project pages
News about Bravo airing Balzac in October -- Home page
Depardieu's son gets married -- Press pages
From the 5/19 front page
Disneyland, Paris. Depardieu is featured at the Visionarium at Disneyland, Paris. It's a 360 degres show telling a story through time with Jules Verne. Gérard plays the airplane mechanic. (Thanks to Klarinet for this item)
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