By Ray Pride Pride@moviecitynews.com

Sony Pictures Classics Picks Up Paul Verhoeven’s Latest

Posted Wednesday, May 11th, 2016 - Comments Off on Sony Pictures Classics Picks Up Paul Verhoeven’s Latest
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SONY PICTURES CLASSICS ACQUIRES PAUL VERHOEVEN’S ELLE

NEW YORK (May 11, 2016) – Sony Pictures Classics announced today that they have acquired rights in North America, Latin America, Australia, New Zealand, Scandinavia, Eastern Europe (excluding Russia) and Asia (excluding China and Japan) to Paul Verhoeven’s ELLE.  Written by David Birke based on Phillipe Djian’s novel “Oh…”, the film will screen In Competition at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival.

The film stars Isabelle Huppert, Laurent Lafitte, Charles Berling, Virginie Efira and Anne Consigny.  It is produced by Saïd Ben Saïd of SBS Productions, Michel Merkt and co-produced by France 2 Cinémas. SBS International is handling sales.

Michèle (Huppert) seems indestructible. Head of a leading video game company, she brings the same ruthless attitude to her love life as to business. Being attacked in her home by an unknown assailant changes Michèle’s life forever. When she resolutely tracks the man down, they are both drawn into a curious and thrilling game that may, at any moment, spiral out of control.

ELLE marks the second film between Ben Saïd and Sony Pictures Classics, having previously worked together on Roman Polanski’s CARNAGE.  It is also the second film between Sony Pictures Classics and Verhoeven, after working together on BLACK BOOK.

“This thriller is Paul Verhoeven at his very best and Isabelle Huppert gives the performance of a lifetime. ELLE promises to be a hit with audiences this fall. We are pleased to be working again with Paul, Isabelle and Saïd,” said Sony Pictures Classics.

Paul Verhoeven said, “Sony has always been my home in the US and I’m excited that Sony Classics will take care of ELLE with the wonderful actress Isabelle Huppert. I’m pleased that even my European films have ended up with them.”

 

ABOUT SONY PICTURES CLASSICS

Michael Barker and Tom Bernard serve as co-presidents of Sony Pictures Classics—an autonomous division of Sony Pictures Entertainment they founded with Marcie Bloom in January 1992, which distributes, produces, and acquires independent films from around the world.  Barker and Bernard have released prestigious films that have won 32 Academy Awards® (28 of those at Sony Pictures Classics) and have garnered 159 Academy Award® nominations (133 at Sony Pictures Classics) including Best Picture nominations for WHIPLASH, AMOUR, MIDNIGHT IN PARIS, AN EDUCATION, CAPOTE, HOWARDS END, AND CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON.

 

ABOUT SONY PICTURES ENTERTAINMENT

Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) is a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Sony Corporation. SPE’s global operations encompass motion picture production and distribution; television production and distribution; home entertainment acquisition and distribution; a global channel network; digital content creation and distribution; operation of studio facilities; development of new entertainment products, services and technologies; and distribution of entertainment in more than 142 countries. For additional information, go to http://www.sonypictures.com/.

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And so the three projects were “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep,” “Naked Lunch” and a collection of Bukowski. Which, in 1975, forget it — I mean, that was nuts. Hollywood would not touch any of that, but I was looking for something commercial, and I thought that all of these things were coming.

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I was walking down the street and I ran into Bradbury — he directed a play that I was going to do as an actor, so we know each other, but he yelled “hi” — and I’d forgot who he was.

So at my girlfriend Barbara Hershey’s urging — I was with her at that moment — she said, “Talk to him! That guy really wants to talk to you,” and I said “No, fuck him,” and keep walking.

But then I did, and then I realized who it was, and I thought, “Wait, he’s in that realm, maybe he knows Philip K. Dick.” I said, “You know a guy named—” “Yeah, sure — you want his phone number?”

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