‘Tulipe’ blooms at Cannes
March 27, 2003 - The Hollywood Reporter
PARIS—Gerard Krawczyk’s 2003 version of the French classic “Fanfan la Tulipe” will open this year’s Festival de Cannes, organizers said Wednesday.
The swashbuckling 18th-century romance features young French star Vincent Perez and Spanish-born Penelope Cruz in the title roles, which were played in the 1952 version by Gerard Philipe and Gina Lollobrigida. The story’s title character joins the French army to escape an arranged marriage while trying to win the hand of the king’s wife.
The film will screen Out of Competition at the 56th edition of Cannes, which runs May 14-25.
Big-budget French producer Luc Besson had a strong hand in the film, co-producing with Michel Feller, while his company, EuropaCorp, served as the production entity.
Besson wrote “Tulipe’s” screenplay with Jean Cosmos. They adapted it from the 1952 version, whose helmer, Christian-Jaque, won the prize for direction at that year’s Cannes fest. Other film versions of the story were done in 1907 by director Alice Guy and in 1926 by Rene Leprince.
Krawczyk has been closely associated with Besson and EuropaCorp, most notably through his work as director of the French blockbusters “Taxi 2” and “Taxi 3.”
Pierre-Ange Le Pogam, co-founder and chief operating officer of EuropaCorp, said the first print of the film arrived at EuropaCorp’s Paris office Wednesday morning. “We screened the film for the first time with the representatives of the film festival present. Over the course of a three-hour lunch, we came to the decision that ‘Fanfan la Tulipe’ would open the festival,” an emotional Le Pogam said. “We are nothing else but thrilled. We’re so proud of the film. It’s delightful.”
As a result of the selection, the film’s April 9 release in France has been pushed back to coincide with the opening of the festival. “This is the right thing to do,” Le Pogam said. “The movie deserves it.”
The announcement is expected to help “Tulipe’s” worldwide distribution efforts. The film has yet to be picked up for distribution in the United States.
The announcement may also appease critics who have been displeased when American films were selected to open the festival, like Woody Allen’s “Hollywood Ending” last year.
“It also happens that some French producers are capable of making excellent movies,” Le Pogam said.
