La bête
As we explored earlier on our countdown, Bertrand Bonello segued to micro-budget Coma while awaiting the greenlight for his ambitious triple era pronged ninth feature. Produced by Les Films du Bélier’s Justin Taurand, Bonello’s La bête (The Beast) will star Léa Seydoux and Gaspard Ulliel (Saint Laurent reunion), production is expected to begin this April.
Gist: Freely inspired by The Beast in the Jungle by Henry James, in the near future where emotions have become a threat, Gabrielle finally decides to purify her DNA in a machine that will immerse her in her previous lives and rid her of any strong feelings. She then meets Louis and feels a powerful connection, as if she has known him forever. A melodrama crossed by the genre, which unfolds over three distinct periods, 1910, 2014 and 2044.
Release Date/Prediction: If we were a betting man we’d put a couple of € for a Palme d’Or competition showing in 2023, but this has been in prep mode for several years now, and sure they’d need to be swift in post for an appearance in 2022 and Venice showing.