A first-look image and pick-up announcement from European sales agency Film Constellation are tuning expectations for Carmen — a modern, animated take on the classic opera, directed by Annecy Crystal winner Sébastien Laudenbach (The Girl without Hands, Chicken for Linda!). The film is being produced by powerhouse French indie Folivari (Ernest & Celestine: A Trip to Gibberitia, The Summit of the Gods, Wolfwalkers).
Fabian Westerhoff of Film Constellation says the feature-length project “embraces the idea of a woman ahead of her time, presenting an innovative take on the timeless narrative.”
Synopsis: It’s 1840 in Seville, a pulsating town of sailors and small-time crooks. Salvador, a young assistant to the gifted knife grinder Antonio, meets a captivating gypsy girl named Carmen. Her rapturous beauty and independent spirit are the talk of the town, but Antonio’s ability to glimpse the future foretells a tragic fate. With unwavering resolve, Salvador will muster an eclectic band of misfit kids, led by the spirited Belén, to protect Carmen against the unyielding threads of destiny, igniting the ancient city’s alleyways in a symphony of emotions.
Laudenbach directs, with Argentinian filmmaker Santiago Otheguy (La león) as co-writer. The creative team also includes comic-book artist Cyril Pedrosa a former Disney animator who worked on The Hunchback of Notre Dame and Hercules — as the film’s graphic designer, and César Award nominee Éléa Gobbé-Mévellec (director, The Swallows of Kabul) providing character design. César-winning composer Amine Bouhafa (Timbuktu, The Summit of the Gods) will remix the opera’s classic melodies with original compositions and contemporary orchestrations.
Carmen is produced by Damien Brunner and Sarah Delmas for Folivari, Veronica Lassenius and Pablo Jordi for Pikkukala (Stinky Dog) and Pierre-Henri Léon for La Garde Montante.
Haut et Court plans to release Carmen in French theaters in 2026, timed to the 150th anniversary of the original opera by Georges Bizet.
[Source: Variety]
