However, the reasons for withholding likely have little to do with fear of comparison. That suggests those in charge wanted to limit awareness. Nor did it play at any other domestic festival. “Bélier” didn’t even screen at the two annual French film festivals in New York (Rendezvous with French Cinema) and Los Angeles (COLCOA). Would initial audiences, including the Sundance jury and critics who gave stellar reviews in the first, have felt the same had they seen “Bélier”? Did it get points for originality it might not have otherwise? Was its sales appeal elevated? Those are all uncertainties, but this could have been a case where familiarity might have bred contempt - or at least, tempered interest. Patrick Wachsberger and Olivia Wachsberger arrive at the 27th Annual Critics Choice Awards He, along with Philippe Rousselet and Fabrice Gianfermi, are the three producers nominated for “CODA.” In 2018, Lionsgate Motion Picture Group Co-Chairman Patrick Wachsberger left the company but remained as a “CODA” producer with Vendôme and Pathé. Instead, the remake took an interesting trajectory: Vendôme Productions, which produced “La Famille Bélier” and sold the film to Lionsgate, bought back remake rights when Lionsgate opted not to move forward. It was reasonable to assume that with a domestic release, similar complaints would follow. In France, its release led to protests over the cast’s inclusion of only one deaf actor, who played the son. Among those who saw the film, including acquisition executives at rival companies, there was an overwhelming sense that “Bélier” would not succeed. Multiple sources tell IndieWire that after much consideration, Lionsgate decided against it. Lionsgate isn’t in the subtitled business, although its long-term relationship with Roadside Attractions would have been a vehicle for release. release, “Bélier” never screened for stateside audiences on any platform, but holding the rights meant Lionsgate controlled access to “Bélier.” Unlike “Intouchables,” which grossed $10 million in its 2012 U.S. Like TWC and “Intouchables,” remake rights drove the decision. “Bélier” was acquired in 2015 by an American distributor: Lionsgate. It plays as a more conventional comedy/drama without the edginess of recent imported French releases like “Raw,” “Annette,” or “Titane.” Eric Lartigau is a mainstream director with local success, but no U.S. So why no presence for “Bélier”? It was part of a long-game plan that paid off.ĭirector reputation and critical support help determine which subtitled French films gain entree into the challenging U.S. Tonys Issue 'No Violence Policy' After Will Smith Oscars Incident: You 'Will Be Removed Immediately'ģ0 Disturbing Foreign Films to Watch, from Gaspar Noé to Takashi Miikeįrom 'Nymphomaniac' to 'Shortbus,' a History of Unsimulated Sex Scenes in 32 Films Liza Minnelli Sings, Smokes, and Looks Rather Lively in New Pre-Oscars Video released “Trois Hommes et un Couffin” in 1986 the remake was the #1 film of 1987. in 1979 for an adjusted gross of $80 million. UA also released the subtitled “La Cage Aux Folles” in the U.S. through The Weinstein Company, which bought remake rights before its implosion). “Intouchables” was released all over the world (including the U.S.
(DVDs with English subtitles can be ordered online.)įrance is a reliable resource for American remakes, like United Artists’ “The Birdcage” (“La Cage Aux Folles”), STX Entertainment’s “The Upside” (“Intouchables”), and “Three Men and a Baby” (“Trois Hommes et un Couffin”). In Canada, it screened only in French-speaking regions. Worldwide, it grossed $86 million.Īnd yet there is little evidence that the film ever had any public showings in the United States. A massive hit in France, it grossed $55 million - the per-capita equivalent to over $300 million domestic. It’s no secret that “CODA” is an adaptation (its three Oscar nominations include Best Adapted Screenplay, after all), but you’ve likely never seen “La Famille Bélier,” the 2014 French film on which “CODA” is based. For “ CODA,” it’s like it never happened. For “West Side Story,” “Dune,” and “Nightmare Alley,” that meant risky comparisons. Four of this year’s Best Picture nominees are remakes.