'Full Phil' is now shooting in Paris.
Directed by French director Quentin Dupieux and co-starring Woody Harrelson, Charlotte Le Bon, Emma MacKey. Nassim Lyes, Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim.
More details on the project from Variety:
Studiocanal is reteaming with French producer Hugo Selignac for Quentin Dupieux‘s star-studded next movie, “Full Phil,” which brings together Kristen Stewart and Woody Harrelson alongside Emma Mackey and Charlotte Le Bon.
Studiocanal will be handling international sales on the English-language film, which will be distributed in France by Diaphana and has been pre-bought by Canal+.
The hot project might have a “White Lotus” vibe. Harrelson stars as Philip Doom, a wealthy American industrialist who attempts to reconnect with his daughter Madeleine (played by Stewart) during a luxurious trip to Paris. “Unfortunately, French cuisine, a 1950s horror film and an intrusive hotel employee disrupt the smooth running of their stay,” reads the synopsis. Tim Heidecker and Nassim Lyes complete the cast.
While the film features American actors, it’s filming entirely in Paris with Dupieux’s regular French crew. “Full Phil” is not his English-language debut; he previously made “Rubber,” which lensed in California with a cast including Stephen Spinella.
The prolific and iconoclastic filmmaker — who was previously a successful French electronic musician and record producer — is known for his absurdist and quirky sense of humor, as well as his boldness that stands out in the French cinema landscape. His 2024 film “The Second Act,” which world premiered on the opening night of Cannes Film Festival, delivered a hilarious stab at a French actors (played by Lea Seydoux, Vincent Lindon and Louis Garrel) adjusting to the #MeToo era while filming a romantic comedy. The movie ended up being a commercial success, selling over 500,000 tickets in French theaters.
“It’s wild — Quentin’s films are extremely popular with the coolest American actors,” said Selignac, whose company Chi-Fou-Mi is part of Mediawan. “When we send them Quentin’s films, they’re struck, because when you look at American comedy today, it’s a bit dead.”
Selignac said that “‘The Second Act,’ in particular, generated a lot of excitement. Suddenly, American actors said to themselves, ‘Wait, can we still make films like this? Can we still laugh at everything? Can we still make jokes like this about women, men, minorities?'”
Dupieux’s films always feature prestigious French casts and have become a reference for young cinephiles, performing well at the local box office and selling around the world. Selignac attributes the filmmaker’s acclaim to his “talent for writing extraordinary roles and his exceptional dialogue.”
Selignac has had a win-win partnership with Studiocanal. The company has backed 13 films produced by him, including Gilles Lellouche’s “Beating Hearts” (which grossed $36 million in France) and Cedric Jimenez’s thrillers “The Stronghold” and “November.” They have also partnered on the upcoming “Dog 51,” which world premiered on the closing night of Venice Film Festival and is being theatrically released by Studiocanal on Oct. 15.
