Passenger’s Seat: Happening’s Anamaria Vartolomei Cast as “Maria” Schneider

Winner of the Cesar award for best Female Newcomer this past Friday for her perf in Audrey Diwan’s Golden Lion winning L’Événement (Happening), actress Anamaria Vartolomei is now moving into further potential trauma territory toplining a biopic on actress Maria Schneider. Le Film Francais broke the news. We had reported last December that Jessica Palaud was moving onto this project as her sophomore feature. Palud recently set up shop in Rome, Italy — with a shoot likely to take place either this month or next.

Palud showcased Revenir at the 2019 edition of the Venice Film Festival and reteams with her producer Marielle Duigou from Fin Août Productions. Palud broke into the business working alongside Bertolucci on her first film job.

Gist: Adapted from (her cousin) Vanessa Schneider’s book Tu t’appelais Maria Schneider, this is set during the 70s and is about a young actress named Maria Schneider is cast in a film by an Italian filmmaker and an American star.

Worth Noting: Vartolomei’s first acting job was under the wings of Isabelle Huppert in My Little Princess — filmmaker Eva Ionesco’s autobiographical treatment inspired by her relationship with her mother.