TF1 Studio Scores Raft of Deals on Dany Boon Starrer 'The Lion'

TF1 Studio has scored several pre-sales on Ludovic Colbeau-Justin’s “The Lion,” the anticipated action comedy starring Dany Boon and Philippe Katerine.

Currently in post-production, “The Lion” has been picked up for Canada (TVA films), Spain (Dea Planeta), Benelux (Alternative Films), Switzerland (Pathe Films), Greece (Spentzos Film), Portugal (Nos Lusomundo Audiovisuais), CIS (Top Film), Poland (Monolith), Former Yugoslavia (Blitz Film), Middle East (Italia Films), Morocco (Megarama), South Korea (Cree Pictures), China (Heyday Investments) and for airlines (Skeye).

TF1 Studio, whose international sales team is headed by Sabine Chemaly, will unveil the opening sequence of “The Lion” at the AFM this week and has released the first still (pictured) of the film which will be released in France on Jan. 29. Monkey Pack Films is producing “The Lion.”


The movie follows Romain, a psychologist who is fascinated by his patient, Leo Milan, who claims to be a highly-trained international spy, code-named The Lion. When Romain’s fiancée is kidnapped, just as The Lion predicted, Romain realizes that Leo is the only one who seems to know what’s going on and the only one who has the skills to rescue her. Desperate, Romain embarks on a frantic chase across Paris with The Lion to rescue Louise and protect France’s central bank from the heist of the century.

Both Katerine and Boon are comedy fixtures in France and form a strong duo. Katerine won a Cesar this year for his performance in Gilles Lellouche’s “Sink or Swim.” Boon is one of France’s most successful comedy directors and actors. Some of his biggest hits are “La ch’tite famille,” “Supercondriaque,” “Welcome to the Ch’tis” and “Supercondriaque,” which he directed and starred in.

TF1 Studio’s current slate also boasts another French comedy, “Ballsy Girl” (“Forte”), directed by Katia Lewkowicz and starring Melha Bedia, and two English-language projects, Jaume Balaguero’s “Way Down,” starring Freddie Highmore, and “Into the Labyrinth,” the adaptation of Donato Carrisi’s novel starring Dustin Hoffman and Toni Servillo. TF1 Studio will show a teaser of “Ballsy Girl,” a promo of “Way Down” and will host the market premiere of “Into the Labyrinth.”

https://variety.com/2019/film/global/tf1-studio-scores-raft-of-deals-on-dany-boon-starrer-the-lion-unveils-first-still-exclusive-1203395365/