EXCLUSIVE: Michaël R. Roskam has set a high-profile ensemble cast for his upcoming World War Two Belgian resistance heist story Le Faux Soir, reuniting him with frequent collaborator Matthias Schoenaerts, star of his 2011 Oscar-nominated breakout Bullhead.
Schoenaerts, whose involvement was announced in 2023, will be joined by Mélanie Thierry (Da 5 Bloods, Memoir of War), Karim Leklou (Beating Hearts, Jim’s Story), Mara Taquin (The Mohicans, On The Edge), Bouli Lanners (Nobody Has To Know,The Night Of The 12th), Julien Frison (The Night Of The 12th) and François Damiens (Dog On Trial, La Famille Belier).
Composer and musician Christophe Chassol (The Worst Person In The World), known for his collaborations with the likes of Phoenix and Frank Ocean, has also signed to write an original score.
Goodfellas will launch sales on the feature at Cannes, with principal photography due to kick off in Belgium in September.
Set in German-occupied Belgium in November 1943, the drama is inspired by wartime events surrounding main Belgian daily newspaper Le Soir, which came under Nazi Germany’s control following its invasion of the country in 1940. Its daily offering of German propaganda resulted in it being nicknamed Le Soir Volé (The Stolen Soir).
In the face of acute danger if they were caught in the act, Belgian resistance group the Independent Front published a spoof edition, satirizing the German occupiers and their propaganda-controlled newspaper, which came to be known as the Le Faux Soir (The False Soir).
Roskam has revisited the story to create an offbeat historical heist movie, which will be brought to life by an all-star French-speaking cast.
“Le Faux Soir is a classic World War II caper in the spirit of Ocean’s Eleven, telling a thrilling story of ingenuity, courage, and resistance, echoing the heroism found in Schindler’s List,” said Goodfellas CEO Vincent Maraval.
The production marks Roskam’s first feature film since Racer and the Bird, which also starred Schoenaerts. In between times, he directed episodes of Apple+ drama Golden Globe-nominated Black Bird, with Taron Egerton, Paul Walter Hauser and Greg Kinnear and The Drop, starring Tom Hardy.
The feature is produced by Belgium’s Frakas Productions and Goodfellas/Rectangle Productions in association with Harbor Men Pictures and Anonymous Federation. Cineart has taken Benelux Rights. A script is available.
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