Official Press Release for Bel Ami

From BelAmiFilm.com
CASTING COMPLETE ON BEL AMI

Robert Pattinson, Uma Thurman, Kristin Scott Thomas, Christina Ricci to star

London… 2nd February, 2010… Principal photography on BEL AMI is to start on February 7th 2010, shooting on locations in London and Budapest.

Robert Pattinson (Twilight series, Remember Me) plays Georges Duroy in this erotically charged story of ambition, power and seduction. Uma Thurman (Pulp Fiction, Kill Bill) is Madeleine, Kristin Scott Thomas (Nowhere Boy, I’ve Loved You So Long) is Virginie, Christina Ricci (Monster, The Ice Storm) is Clotilde, Holly Grainger (Scouting Book for Boys) is Suzanne, Philip Glenister (Life on Mars, Calendar Girls) is Charles, and Colm Meaney (The Damned United, The Snapper) plays Duroy’s adversary, Rousset. The screenplay is written by Rachel Bennette from the novel by Guy de Maupassant, and the film is directed by the influential and innovative Cheek By Jowl directors Declan Donnellan and Nick Ormerod.

BEL AMI is the story of Georges Duroy, who travels through 1890s Paris, from cockroach ridden garrets to opulent salons, using his wits and powers of seduction to rise from poverty to wealth, from a prostitute’s embrace to passionate trysts with wealthy beauties, in a world where politics and media jostle for influence, where sex is power and celebrity an obsession.

BEL AMI is produced by Uberto Pasolini (The Full Monty, Machan) with Simon Fuller as executive producer. The director of photography is Hagen Bogdanski (The Young Victoria, The Lives of Others); Attila F. Kovacs (Sunshine, Meeting Venus) is production designer; the costumes are designed by Odile Dicks-Mireaux (An Education, The Constant Gardener); the hair and make-up designer is Jenny Shircore (The Young Victoria, Elizabeth: The Golden Age) and the editor is Masahiro Hirakubo (The Duchess, Trainspotting).

BEL AMI is a Redwave Films production in association with Simon Fuller’s new company XIX, Protagonist Pictures and RaiCinema.

Protagonist Pictures are handling international sales on the film. RaiCinema came on board early as a production partner, and will handle the film in Italy. Studio Canal followed suit, securing rights for its three territories: Optimum Releasing in the UK, Kinowelt in Germany and their own Studio Canal label in France. Elsewhere, Protagonist have completed deals with Hopscotch for Australia, Independent for Benelux, Impuls for Switzerland, Golden Scene for Hong Kong/Macau, Unikorea Culture and Art for South Korea, Central Partnership for CIS, Ablo for Eastern Europe, California Filmes for Latin America, PT Camila for Indonesia and Hollywood Entertainment for Greece and Cyprus.

…ends…

BelAmiFilm.com Note: Contrary to popular belief, filming in Budapest does not begin until APRIL. The London filming begins February 7. Many sites misinterpreted this press release in regards to the filming locations for first week.