The Weinstein Company has been taking risks left and right this year after its Oscar success with “The King’s Speech.” They’re looking to make a big splash with Oscar fare like “The Iron Lady” (though last week’s trailer was ridiculous), “Coriolanus,” “My Week with Marilyn” and Madonna‘s “W.E.” However, they also have picked up smaller films that might be harder to sell to a wide audience like Michael Hazanavicius‘ “The Artist” and now, according to THR, the French-language film “Untouchable.”
TWC will distribute the film about an unlikely friendship between a rich paraplegic and his street-wise aide in French in 2012, while obtaining the rights for an English-language remake as well. The film, directed and written by Eric Toledano and Olivier Nakache stars Francois Cluzet as the wealthy man and Omar Sy as his hired companion and you can pretty much see why the Weinsteins have dollar signs in their eyes. It sounds like a crowdpleaser and a heartbreaker rolled into one. Although, why people need English-language remakes is still beyond us, but the trend doesn’t look to be changing soon as the majority of people won’t see a subtitled movie all year. TWC made the deal with production company/distributor Gaumont for all North American rights, as well as other countries including the U.K. and Australia.
“Untouchable” is currently in post-production and no writers have been tasked yet with the remake. You can read a fuller synopsis of the film from Quad Productions below:
Philip, a rich aristocrat with a passion for the arts and extreme sports, is left paralysed after a hang-gliding accident. Driss, a young guy from the hoods whose life is a struggle between odd jobs and petty thefts, shows up at Philip’s mansion for a job interview just to get his unemployment form stamped, but gets caught in his own game when Philip decides to actually hire him as his home helper. From their extreme differences and their need to adapt to each-other stems an extraordinary friendship, as unique and moving as it is, at times, hilarious.
