Cannes: Neon, Hulu Acquire Celine Sciamma’s ‘Portrait of a Lady on Fire’

By Leo Barraclough

LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – Neon and Hulu have acquired North American rights to Céline Sciamma’s love story “Portrait of a Lady on Fire,” which premiered in competition at Cannes.

is planning a theatrical release for the film this year, which will include an awards campaign in all categories.

The film is set in Brittany, France in 1770. Marianne (Noémie Merlant), a painter, is commissioned to paint the wedding portrait of Héloïse (Adèle Haenel), a young woman who has just left the convent. Héloïse is a reluctant bride to be and Marianne must paint her without her knowing. She observes her by day, to paint her secretly.

As well as Merlant and Haenel, the film stars Luana Bajrami and Valeria Golino. It is produced by Bénédicte Couvreur for Lilies Film.

Neon also acquired Bong Joon-ho’s “Parasite,” another Cannes competition title.

Mk2 Films has five films competing for the Palme d’Or including Mati Diop’s “Atlantics,” Xavier Dolan’s “Matthias and Maxime,” Corneliu Porumboiu’s “The Whistlers” and Justine Triet’s “Sybil.”