In one of the first major deals unveiled at the European Film Market, Sony Pictures Classics (“I’m Still Here”) has bought “Vie Privée,” a highly anticipated, humor-laced murder mystery movie starring Jodie Foster and directed by Rebecca Zlotowski (“Other People’s Children”), for North America and Latin America territories.
The Oscar winner stars in the film as renowned psychiatrist Lilian Steiner who mounts a private investigation into the death of one of her patients, whom she is convinced has been murdered. Foster last starred in a French-language film 20 years ago in Jean-Pierre Jeunet’s Oscar-nominated “A Very Long Engagement.”
Foster, who recently won an Emmy and a Golden Globe her turn in HBO’s “True Detective: Night Country,” stars in “Vie Privée” alongside a flurry of international stars, including Daniel Auteuil (“Farewell, Mr Haffman”) and Efira (“Other People’s Children”), Mathieu Almaric (“The Diving Bell and the Butterfly”), Vincent Lacoste (“Lost Illusions”) and Luana Bajrami (“Portrait of a Lady On Fire”).
Shot in Paris and Normandy, “Vie Privée” is currently in post-production and will likely world premiere in the festival circuit.
“Vie Privée” marks the first collaboration between Sony Pictures Classics and Zlotowski. One of France’s most successful filmmakers, Zlotowski previously directed “Other People’s Children,” which competed at the Venice Film Festival in 2022, as well as “Une fille facile” (Cannes’ Directors Fortnight 2019), “Planetarium” (Venice 2016) starring Natalie Portman and Lily-Rose Depp, and “Grand Central” (Cannes’ Un Certain Regard 2013) and “Belle Epine” (Cannes’ Critics Week in 2010) with Lea Seydoux. Zlotowski penned the script of “Vie Privée” with Anne Berest (“Happening”) and Gaëlle Macé.
Goodfellas unveiled a promo of the movie at the EFM and has sold it nearly worldwide. Ad Vitam will release it in France. The film reteams Zlotowski with her longtime producer, Frédéric Jouve at Les Films Velvet.
Sony Pictures Classics is having a strong start to the year with “I’m Still Here,” Walter Salles’ poignant Brazilian political drama that is nominated for three Academy Awards including best picture and best actress for Fernanda Torres. Sony Pictures Classics recently announced additional international release dates across Latin America and Europe for the movie. The distributor is at the Berlinale with Richard Linklater’s “Blue Moon,” an anticipated highlight of the competition starring Ethan Hawke, Margaret Qualley, Bobby Cannavale and Andrew Scott.
“Vie Privée” joins Sony Pictures Classics’ slate of recent acquisitions, alongside “East of Wall,” the feature debut of writer and director Kate Beecroft. The movie won the Audience Award at Sundance in the NEXT category.
