M.   /   October 17, 2010   /   24 Comments

Please have in mind that there’s no official word on it yet.

  • Benoît Jacquot is assembling an all-star cast for his adaptation of Chantal Thomas’ Les Adieux à la Reine (Farewell, My Queen). Just three names on the list so far, but they work well as survey of venerable French cinema actors: elder statesman Gerard Depardieu; in-demand young star in Lea Seydoux; and sometimes-I-forget-she’s-French crossover queen, Eva Green. I can smell the Cesars from here.

    From what I’ve read of Thomas’ novel, it seems that Eva Green will be playing Marie Antoinette, and Lea Seydoux a reader to the queen who bears witness to the fall of the Bastille. French Premiere make specific reference to a role for the detached head of the executed King Louis’, so I’ll posit a theory that maybe – just maybe – said tête will be essayed by Depardieu.

    Source

  • Eva Green (Cracks), Lea Seydoux (Inglourious Basterds) and Gerard Depardieu (In the Beginning) have been cast in Farewell, My Queen, an adaptation of Chantal Thomas’ novel of the same name.

    Farewell, My Queen will be directed by Benoit Jacquot (Deep In The Woods) and will see Green as Marie Antoinette, while Seydoux will play a reader to her royal majesty. Depardieu’s role is not yet known.

    The synopsis of Farewell, My Queen is embedded below:

    A woman whose function it once was to read books aloud to Marie-Antoinette is haunted by the memory of her last days at the French court of Versailles, when Louis XVI’s magnificent palace succumbed to the irrepressible forces of revolution. Now exiled in Vienna, Madame Agathe-Sidonie Laborde looks back twenty-one years to the legendary opulence of Versailles and, overcome with nostalgia and remorse, discovers the full measure of her fascination with the Queen she served.

    Transporting us to eighteenth-century France with the skill of a consummate storyteller, Chantal Thomas meticulously re-creates the miniature universe of Versailles, brilliantly juxtaposing its beauty and its dawn-to-dusk ritual with the chaos that erupts. Her portrait of Versailles and of Marie-Antoinette is an incomparable account of the collapse of a lost world.

    Source

    • 24 Responses to ““Farewell, My Queen””
    1. George Says:
      October 17th, 2010 at 3:20 pm

      Do you think that we will hear again Eva speaking French in a movie after 7 years ? Let’s see…

      off topic: At 21:00 on Tuesday 19th October is the premiere of Womb in London Film Festival (BFI Southbank NFT1 (http://www.bfi.org.uk/lff/calendar/20101019).
      For those lucky people in London: be prepared, probably Eva will be there

    2. Nausicaa Says:
      October 17th, 2010 at 8:17 pm

      This sounds like it would be a *fantastic* role for her. I hope it’s more than just a rumor – if it is just a rumor, it’s a very specific rumor about a previously unannounced movie. So there’s probably some truth to it. I’m crossing my fingers.

      I can’t wait for Cracks and Womb to find distributors in the US. At least I know Camelot will be available in the US, even though I don’t have cable. “Farewell, My Queen” sounds like the type of project that would find distribution in the US fairly easily.

      It would be nice to see Eva make a premiere for Womb, but my guess is she’s pretty busy these days filming Camelot. TV work can be very intensive, and she’s being billed above Bower and Egerton – it sounds like she’s a big part of this story.

    3. spot Says:
      October 18th, 2010 at 7:31 am

      i pray to God that this is not just a rumor. i got very excited when the rumors first surface and it now it seems like there’s some ~truth~ to it. i’m liking the cast and i’m sure that Eva will be fierce as Marie-Antoinette!

      thanks for the update M & R!

    4. George Says:
      October 18th, 2010 at 2:07 pm

      Nausicaa: I bet she will be at the BFI Womb’s premiere. London – Dublin is less than an hour. Besides, don’t forget she is a sorceress now… 🙂

    5. Nikos Says:
      October 19th, 2010 at 12:19 pm

      Looking Forward to her Next Projects as This Young Lady is on a Role : )

      Nikos

    6. Antigonus Says:
      October 20th, 2010 at 5:27 pm

      Thought this might interest all – Marton csokas confirms split – in decent, lowkey fashion :

      http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0190744/board/nest/168586576?d=168688783&p=1&mode=desktop

      interview dates from august but the harpers magazine suggests it happened mid last year

    7. Antigonus Says:
      October 20th, 2010 at 5:43 pm

      Sorry meant Tatler

    8. George Says:
      October 21st, 2010 at 11:01 pm

      Because the link doesn’t work in my computer, “sakesu” has the complete interview in his/her comment in the specific thread
      http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0190744/board/thread/168586576?d=168688783&p=1#168688783
      Interesting interview ana Marton speaks sweet about Eva after their split.

    9. George Says:
      October 22nd, 2010 at 12:58 am

      Nausicaa: It seems that I lost the bet about Eva’s presence at BFI Womb’s premiere. Merlin didn’t allow her… 🙂
      By the way, has anybody news about the event?

    10. carol82 Says:
      October 22nd, 2010 at 7:07 am

      never talked about his break .I like them to be friends,thanks for the link Anígono.
      The premiere of womb in the London film festival, something happened that there is no article or picture to talk about the premiere.

    11. Lola Says:
      October 22nd, 2010 at 8:40 am

      Thanks for the heads-up, Antigonus 😉
      It’s also a very good interview aside from the Eva info!

    12. lois Says:
      October 22nd, 2010 at 5:32 pm

      In interviews last year one for Tatler magazine eva talk much about his emotional state, many rumors suggest that no more than a break with Marton Csokas.

    13. lois Says:
      October 22nd, 2010 at 5:34 pm

      I’m sorry, I wanted to say that much of the press point out that assessment does not exceed its rupture

    14. Nausicaa Says:
      October 22nd, 2010 at 5:37 pm

      I don’t think anyone involved with ‘Womb’ attended the premiere in London earlier this week. There are a few new reviews out there, though. No one’s been too critical of Eva or Matt Smith, but it sounds like the movie itself wasn’t well received…but it’s hard to tell from a few reviews!

      Though it’s not surprising she wasn’t there, if you think about it. Gandalf tended to be late/a ‘no show’ often too…

      P.S. The Marton Csokas interview was lovely.

    15. George Says:
      October 22nd, 2010 at 10:48 pm

      Nausicaa: I was too romantic, I thought Morgana didn’t adopt Gandalf’s bad habbits 🙂

    16. George Says:
      October 25th, 2010 at 12:44 pm

      Attention everybody! Camelot news:
      http://www.collider.com/2010/10/24/joseph-fiennes-chris-chibnall-interview-camelot-starz/

      Gooood news… 😉

    17. Nausicaa Says:
      October 25th, 2010 at 9:38 pm

      Though newly posted, an old interview (with some inaccuracies – i.e. “Fitz” Regan). I say it’s old ’cause I’m pretty sure I’ve heard snippets from this press interview before. The brief discussion about Eva’s Morgan is new, though. And it sounds wonderful.

      http://www.collider.com/2010/10/24/joseph-fiennes-chris-chibnall-interview-camelot-starz/

    18. spot Says:
      October 26th, 2010 at 7:57 am

      interesting interview and “news” with Marton. it’s very nice of him to speak nicely about Eva. thanks Antigonus 🙂

      Nausicaa: my friend saw it and said he didn’t like it 🙁 (i’m not listening to him though 😆 )

    19. Nausicaa Says:
      October 26th, 2010 at 10:52 pm

      spot: I think it’s probably OK that your friend didn’t like it. I suspect that individual responses to ‘Womb’ are going to continue to be highly variable – ultimately, (for this movie more than most) it’ll all come down personal taste/biases. I’ll be happy if most reviewers at least acknowledge that the film is well made/well acted. Eva is carrying this movie, so how she’s received will be important.

    20. George Says:
      October 27th, 2010 at 2:18 pm

      spot: The majority of the critical comments about Womb were that it was too slow. Maybe this was also the impression of your friend.

    21. Antigonus Says:
      October 27th, 2010 at 5:13 pm

      A well written and reasonably positive review – particularly about Eva’s performance – suggesting a complex and ambitious film, which tried to tackle some big issues( though it may ultimately fail):

      http://www.obsessedwithfilm.com/reviews/review-womb.php

    22. Antigonus Says:
      October 27th, 2010 at 5:24 pm

      Though most of ‘Shaun Monro’s reviews on above site seem similarly wordy and perhaps somewhat uncritically positive

    23. George Says:
      October 28th, 2010 at 9:57 am

      Antigonus: thnx for the link

    24. spot Says:
      November 4th, 2010 at 8:00 am

      Nausicaa: he did say it was well-acted (although, for him, not well-made). i also believe in personal/individual taste so of course it’s okay that he didn’t like it 🙂

      George: you are correct about my friend finding it slow.