‘Marie Antoinette,’ Canal+’s Lavish Costume Drama, Renewed for Season 2 (EXCLUSIVE)

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent Maïwenn’s historical drama, “Jeanne du Barry,” starring Johnny Depp as Louis XV, is slated to world premiere on opening night of the 76th edition of the Cannes Film Festival, Variety has learned. The movie marks Depp’s acting comeback after a three-year hiatus following his long legal battle with ex-wife Amber Heard which culminated in a defamation trial won by Depp in December. Maïwenn’s sixth feature, the period movie revolves around the tumultuous relationship of the French king Louis XV and his lover, Jeanne du Barry (played by Maiwenn), whom he brought into the Versailles Palace to live near him even though she wasn’t a noble. Louis XV, who was nicknamed “the beloved,” ultimately died as an unpopular king after being accused of corruption. He reigned for 59 years, the longest in the history of France after that of Louis XIV. Depp barely spoke French before the start of filming so it will be interesting to see how he pulls it off without an accent.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent Don’t expect Warner Bros. Discovery’s French original programming team to follow Netflix and Amazon Prime Video’s trail and chase teen audiences. Vera Peltekian, VP and head of streaming original production for the banner, says the standalone service’s bow in France “is on the roadmap” with a raft of “bold and director-driven Max originals targeting adult audiences in line with what the HBO brand is known for.” Peltekian, who previously worked 15 years at Canal + and played a major role in the pay TV group’s critically acclaimed series such as “The Returned,” “Spiral” and “Savages,” revealed that Warner Bros. Discovery’s first French original will be “The Mythomaniac of the Bataclan,” a four-part series inspired by the true story of a woman who conned her way into a victims’ association and quickly became one of its pillars.

Peter Debruge Chief Film Critic Though his life and accomplishments were largely erased under Napoleon, the extraordinary figure at the center of Stephen Williams’ “Chevalier” really did exist. Born on the Caribbean island of Guadeloupe, the son of a white plantation owner and his Black slave, Joseph Bologne went on to excel in spheres rarely accessible to people of color in 18th-century French society. Here was a champion swordsman and celebrated musician invited to play his violin at Versailles, where Marie Antoinette reportedly accompanied him on the harpsichord. So why has it taken so long for his story to be told? The time certainly seems right to rediscover the Chevalier — an honorary title that reveals how high Bologne rose under France’s overtly racist Code Noir, as well as a fitting name for the film. A compelling example of Black excellence dating back even before the French Revolution, the English-language “Chevalier” doesn’t feel nearly as fusty as its powdered wigs and period setting might suggest. Like “Chocolat” (not the Johnny Depp confection, but the 2016 Omar Sy vehicle about the circus clown who broke barriers on the Paris stage), this modern-minded if occasionally under-nuanced costume drama fills a historic gap, starting with its fanciful opening scene: a violin showdown between Bologne (Kelvin Harrison Jr.) and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Joseph Prowen) choreographed like a rap battle.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent France TV Distribution has scored a raft of deals across its slate of flagship shows, notably Noé Debré’s political satire “Parliament,” whose second season was picked up by Topic in the U.S. “Parliament,” produced by Paris-based Cinétévé, was created by Debré, whose screenwriting include Jacques Audiard’s Palme d’Or winning “Dheepan.” The series is set at the European parliament in Strasbourg and follows a young assistant working for a newly elected member, juggling his ethics, job and love life. The 10-episode series features a young cast from across Europe, including Xavier Lacaille, Liz Kingsman and Philippe Duquesne. The daring show shot partly on location in both French and English languages.

Naman Ramachandran Psychological illusion specialist Derren Brown is returning to U.K. broadcaster Channel 4 for the first time in three years with “Showman,” his recent, interactive one-man live stage show. Brown, who has a long relationship with the broadcaster, was on Channel 4 in 2020 with the special “Derren Brown, 20 Years of Mind Control: Live.” “Showman” is billed as Brown’s most personal and emotional show to date, centering on themes of how life’s difficulties bring people together, and living life attentively. Half a million people were taken through the journey of the show in theaters across the U.K. It concluded a 14-week run at London’s Apollo Theatre earlier this month.

EXCLUSIVE: Channel 5 is on the brink of finding a new producer for its next Jane McDonald and Susan Calman shows. This follows owner Paramount Global’s decision to close the Viacom International Studios (VIS) UK unscripted division, revealed by Deadline last month.

HBO’s House of the Dragon might be shorter than fans are expecting.

return for its fifth and final season in 2024.Also ending is the currently airing “Star Trek: Picard,” touted as the final adventure of Jean-Luc Picard and the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise D.“Strange New Worlds” is based on the years Captain Christopher Pike manned the helm of the U.S.S. Enterprise.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent The crack of a bullwhip may soon echo around the Palais. Fifteen years after opening the Cannes Film Festival, the world’s most famous archeologist is expected to return to the Croisette, and follow in the footsteps of 2022’s “Top Gun: Maverick” as this edition’s splashy Hollywood blockbuster premiere. The festival has invited Disney’s “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” and it certainly boasts all the right ingredients to make for a glamorous and memorable moment. Executive produced by Steven Spielberg and George Lucas, this installment will reportedly be Harrison Ford’s last time playing the titular character. Ford stars opposite an attractive international cast, including Phoebe Waller-Bridge and Mads Mikkelsen, among others. James Mangold, the director of “Logan” and “Ford vs. Ferrari,” slides behind the camera on this one. Details of the film’s plot are being kept under wraps that are tighter than those of a mummy, but based on the trailer this one does find Dr. Jones facing off against former Nazis in a flashback sequence that uses de-aging technology to zap Ford back in time.

Grey’s Anatomy continues to write TV history with a renewal for a landmark 20th season, extending its record as the longest running primetime medical drama. Along with the pickup, which was fully expected, ABC also confirmed Deadline’s report that Meg Marinis will serve as showrunner for season 20. She replaces longtime Grey’s Anatomy and Station 19 showrunner Krista Vernoff, who is leaving both series at the end of this season.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter “Grey’s Anatomy” has been renewed for Season 20 at ABC. With the renewal, the series continues its run as the longest running primetime medical drama in TV history. In addition, series executive producer Meg Marinis will serve as showrunner on Season 20. Marinis takes over from Krista Vernoff, who was reported to be stepping down from “Grey’s Anatomy” and its spinoff “Station 19” back in January. The Season 19 finale of “Grey’s Anatomy” will air on May 18. The show has seen a number of exits this season, most notably Vernoff and Kelly McCreary (who’s played Dr. Maggie Pierce for nine seasons) — and series lead Ellen Pompeo, kind of. Pompeo has been with the show since it debuted, but in the Feb. 23 episode, her character Meredith Grey moved from Seattle to Boston. She will continue to provide the voiceover at the beginning and end of each episodes, and she’ll also appear on the finale. Pompeo’s status for Season 20 is still up in the air.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent Eitan Mansuri, who attended Series Mania Festival to pitch season 2 of “No Man’s Land” (pictured), is re-teaming with award-winning Israeli director Samuel Maoz on his next film “It’s Good to Die For Your Country.” The project will mark Maoz’s follow up to “Foxtrot” and “Lebanon” which won Venice’s Silver and Golden Lion awards, respectively. Mansuri told Variety that “It’s Good to Die For Your Country” will be like the third opus of a trilogy on war, completing “Foxtrot” and “Lebanon.” “‘Lebanon’ was about being a soldier, ‘Foxtrot’ was about the implication of war on families and ‘It’s Good to Die For Your Country’ will be about trauma itself,” said Mansuri, whose produced Maoz’s last two movies.

Fox has just renewed 2 more TV shows today!

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent While she retired prematurely at the age of 39, Brigitte Bardot has left an indelible mark on France’s popular culture in the 1960’s and 1970’s. With her wild blonde mane, smoky eyes and pouty lips, Bardot became a symbol of a modern and effortlessly sexy French woman, and a style emblem that continues to inspire current trends. The event series “Bardot,” which is penned and directed by Daniele Thompson (“The Queen Margot”) and Christopher Thompson (“La bûche”), world premiered at Series Mania Festival to unanimous praise and has been pre-sold by Federation nearly worldwide. “‘Bardot’ is like the French ‘The Crown’ because Bardot embodied France, and through her journey we reminisce about many parts of France’s history and popular culture in the 1950’s and 1960’s,” Federation’s boss and “Bardot” producer Pascal Breton told Variety.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent Have A Good One (HAGO) has boarded “Split,” a series created and directed by well-respected French feminist author Iris Brey ahead of its world premiere in competition at Series Mania Festival. “Split” was produced by Fabienne Servan-Schreiber et Charlotte Ortiz at Paris-based Cinétévé for the French broadcaster France Televisions’ digital platform Slash. The show revolves around Anna, a 30 year-old stuntwoman who falls in love with a famous actress during a film shoot. The attractive cast includes Alma Jodorowsky (“The Serpent”), Jehnny Beth (“Paris, 13th District”), Ralph Amoussou, and Pauline Chalamet.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent Strand Releasing has bought all North American rights to Emily Atef’s last two movies, “Someday We’ll Tell Each Other Everything” which competed at the Berlin Film Festival, as well as her Cannes entry “More Than Ever.” Both films are represented in international markets by The Match Factory. Based on Daniela Krien’s novel, the film is set in the summer of 1990, shortly after the fall of the Berlin wall, in the countryside of former East Germany. Marlene Burow plays Maria, who is about to turn 19, lives with her boyfriend at his parents’ farm. She engages into a passionate and lustful affair with Henner (Felix Kramer), a reclusive neighbor who is twice her age.“More Than Ever,” meanwhile, premiered at last year’s Cannes Film Festival in the Un Certain Regard. It stars Vicky Krieps (“Corsage,” “Phantom Thread”) and late French actor Gaspard Ulliel as a couple whose bond is tested when one of them is diagnosed with a terminal disease.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent The duo behind the hit Nordic franchise “Snabba Cash,” helmer Jesper Ganslandt and screenwriter Oskar Söderlund, have re-teamed on “Cry Wolf,” an action thriller series starring British musician-turned-actor Eliot Sumner (“No Time to Die”). Ordered by Swedish broadcaster TV4, “Cry Wolf” is based on “Vargasommar,” the anticipated debut novel of Hans Rosenfeldt, the BAFTA-nominated creator of “Bron” (“The Bridge”) and British series “Marcella.” Fifth Season has boarded international sales. “Cry Wolf” will also star Eva Melander (“UFO Sweden”) and Henrik Dorsin (“Triangle of Sadness”). It will start filming in in Haparanda, near the border of Finland, in July. Melander is set play Hannah Wester, a 54-year-old police officer whose quiet life in Haparanda gets turned upside down after a wolf is found dead. The ordinary investigation becomes a sprawling criminal case connected to a bloody drug deal in Finland and sparks a series of brutal events.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent “Mobile 101, a Nokia Story,” a series about the dramatic rise and fall of the Finnish phone company, has been acquired by Disney+ and Walter Presents in multiple territories. The series was produced by Finland’s Rabbit Films and is represented in international markets by the outfit. The six-part series, which sheds light on how a small Finnish company specializing in rubber boots became the world’s biggest mobile manufacturer at the turn of the 21st century, has been picked by Disney+ Italy, Netherlands and Belgium. Walter Presents, meanwhile, bought it for the UK & Ireland. RUV Iceland has also acquired season one of the series.

Call the Midwife and Sanditon are back, while the Versailles-set Marie Antoinette makes it debut. It's the perfect way to spend your Sunday evening and will only get you more excited for the in May, followed by .Speaking of charming British characters, Ted Lasso airs its second episode this Wednesday. After last week's episode (my heart sank for Ted in the final few minutes), the show keeps raising the stakes and I'm loving it.Meanwhile, is back for an epic season two adventure while Daisy Jones & the Six wraps up its run, giving you all the answers you want to know.

The Favourite”). Set in the eighteenth century, the drama follows the famous last Queen of France (Schüle) beginning with her teenage years, as she’s sent from her home in Austria to France, in order to marry the awkward Louis XVI (Louis Cunningham), who won’t talk to her and doesn’t appear to bathe. She’s a fish out of water in Versailles, struggling to understand their way of life and deal with court intrigue, while Louis XV (James Purefoy, “Rome”) rules.  “It changed my view on her entirely,” said Schüle, who is German and is based in Berlin. “I do think that there is a very wrong image out there about her.