Palme d’Or-winning actress Léa Seydoux has signed on to star in “The Story of My Wife,” the new film from “On Body and Soul” director Ildikó Enyedi. The upcoming pic will focus on a married couple who get together under unusual circumstances. The Hollywood Reporter broke the story.
Based on Milan Fust’s 1942 novel, “The Story of My Wife” is a 1920s-set reimagining of the Flying Dutchman myth. In a cafe with a friend, sea captain Jacob Storr (Anders Baasmo Christiansen, “Kon-Tiki”) wagers that he will marry the next woman who walks through the door. That woman turns out to be Lizzy, Seydoux’s character.
“The Story of My Wife” will mark Enyedi’s first English-language feature. She is writing the script. “Toni Erdmann” helmer Maren Ade is among the producers.
The film will shoot in Paris, Hamburg, Budapest, and the South of Italy next year.
“On Body and Soul,” a love story that sees two slaughterhouse employees experiencing the same dreams, won the top prize at the Berlinale last year. It is currently up for the Oscar for best foreign language film.
Enyedi has also helmed episodes of “Terápia” and features including “Simon, the Magician” and “Tamas and Juli.”
“There are so many challenges in filmmaking apart from being a woman,” Enyedi told us when we asked her advice for female filmmakers. “But, as soon as you are with your crew, with your team … They want a real leader, whatever his or her sex is. They want to know, first of all, if the hard work they will put in your project is worthwhile. They want to know if you know what you want and if you are sincere enough to tell them when you need time to figure it out. They will test you and if you pass the test they will work for you like crazy, with touching loyalty. Take it as a game,” she added, “enjoy it — and enjoy winning it.”
In an unprecedented moment, Seydoux won the Palme d’Or at Cannes 2013 with co-star Adèle Exarchopoulos and director Abdellatif Kechiche for “Blue Is the Warmest Color,” marking the first time a helmer shared the honor with on-screen talent. The LGBTQ coming-of-age drama was a critical darling but both Seydoux and Exarchopoulos were vocal about the toxic culture onset, specifically Kechiche’s degrading directing tactics.
“It’s Only the End of the World,” “Spectre,” and “The Lobster” are some of Seydoux’s other recent credits.
