France is the new Asia. Over the past 12 months, there's been quite a few French flicks given the go-ahead for the Hollywood remake... to many to mention in fact. Has Hollywood decided that France is now where the most talented storytellers reside and not Asia? Variety report that Lasse Hallstrom who most recently directed The Hoax, is set to remake the 2005 French thriller Anthony Zimmer for Spyglass Entertainment. The movie has an early 2008 production start and will be Hallstrom's next feature film.
Scripted by Julian Fellowes ("Gosford Park"), thriller concerns an American tourist who finds his life in danger when a female Interpol agent uses him as a dupe to flush out an elusive criminal with whom she once had an affair.
The original French thriller starred former Bond girl hottie Sophie Marceau and was written and directed by Jerome Salle, with an IMDB score of 6.4 for those of you who like to know such things. Hallstrom is a director who knows how to tell some great stories but his movies are always quite safe and conventional. However, that's not a bad thing at all... one thing that a lot of directors (especially the younger one's) struggle with these days is just simply the art of good storytelling. If the right people are cast on this... then it could turn out to be something quite interesting. Will Hallstrom cast Marceau to reprise her role for the remake?