101 Studios Acquires U.S. Rights to Nicolas Bedos’ Cannes Title ‘La Belle Epoque’

By Elsa Keslassy

LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – David Glasser’s 101 Studios has acquired U.S. rights to Nicolas Bedos’s French romantic comedy “La Belle Epoque” which world premiered out of competition at Cannes Film Festival to strong reviews and went on to play at Toronto.

The film stars Daniel Auteuil as Victor, a disillusioned sexagenarian cartoonist who has lost his job and is on the outs with his wife Marianne. A friend of his son who runs a thriving VR company offers him the intriguing opportunity to travel back in time and revisit his glory days. Victor choses to go back to May 16, 1974, the day he met Marianne at a café, and soon finds himself drawn to Margo, the actress playing the younger incarnation of his spouse.

Auteuil stars in the film opposite Guillaume Canet, Dora Tillier, Fanny Ardant, and Pierre Arditi.

“We were struck by Nicolas’ touching yet sharp-minded take on a romantic comedy and the impeccable performance given by Daniel Auteuil, who continues to be a tenacious force in French cinema,” said Glasser. “” is slated for a U.S. theatrical release in the Spring.

La Belle Epoque was released by Pathe Films in France on Nov. 6, 2019 and has so far grossed approximately $8 million. The film is also having a solid run in European countries such as Italy where it has made over $1.7 million so far.

“We are thrilled that ‘La Belle Epoque’ will soon be released in the U.S. and found a great home with 101 Studios who has the capacity of optimizing its release and exhibition in the USA thanks to their background with other French high concept films in the past,” said Ardavan Safaee, president of Pathe Films.

The deal was negotiated by 101 Studios’s head of acquisitions James Allen, Glasser, James Gold and Lief Cervantes of Sheppard Mullen, and Marie-Laurie Montironi on behalf of Pathé.