The aisles of the Palais des Congrès in Bordeaux were buzzing with voices and familiar faces. And not just because Cartoon Movie, the meeting place for European animation film professionals, was back with a 100% physical edition. The event, intended to promote the financing of animated feature films, celebrated its 25th anniversary with renowned guests: Cyrano flirted with Carmen who made fun of her appendix, while Mr. Hulot had fun with the pen of the young Yakari…
Among the sixty or so projects presented, many were adaptations of classics from literature or performing arts (Cyrano de Bergerac et Carmenbut also Renart’s novel), successful children’s comics (Nin, Yakari)adult graphic novels (The birds don’t look backby Nadia Nakhlé, or I’m still aliveautobiography of Roberto Saviano drawn by Asaf Hanuka).
But also immortal characters of the 7th art, such as Mr. Hulot, of whom one wonders how he has not already been adapted as this figure is endearing and iconic. This is the idea brought by Marc Rius of TNZPV Productions, an Arles company which wants to stage the deceptively naive antihero created by Jacques Tati in an ecological Christmas tale entitled Merry Christmas Monsieur Hulot!
Image from “Merry Christmas Monsieur Hulot!” “. / TNZPV Productions
Even if the illustrator chosen for the artistic direction, David Merveille, proved his ability to define the silhouette of Hulot, the scenario presented seemed both a little too simple and edifying: Mr. Hulot and the young Louis plant a fir tree in the middle of a Parisian square where he creates chaos by his too rapid growth, to the great displeasure of the borough mayor who is none other than Louis’ father. But Marc Rius insisted on his desire to find the ” detail dramaturgy specific to Tati’s staging, the singular rhythm between contemplative sequences and other more rhythmic and burlesque ones. Everything remains to be done for this project in development…
Guillaume Gallienne and Cyrano
The same goes for the one presented by Guillaume Gallienne for Cyrano de Bergerac, still in the embryonic stage. The member of the Comédie-Française, in impeccable English, delivered a somewhat starched profession of faith of the transposition of Rostand’s play into a family animated film with anthropomorphic dogs and cats. All for the modest sum of 20 million euros, or three times the average budget of the feature films presented.
Preparatory image of “Cyrano” by Guillaume Gallienne / Nolita Films
Are these adaptations a sign of a creative boost or a retreat towards sure values? The second option seems the right one, as most of the other projects surprised by their audacity. With The bear and the hermitan animated version of John Yeoman’s children’s book illustrated by the immense Quentin Blake, So much the better production seems to have found the way to animate the rugged line of the famous illustrator of Roald Dahl’s novels.
“Nayola”, three generations of women facing war
Another amazing idea: put in pictures Renart’s novelin its version played by Bourvil for a children’s disc released in 1977. At the maneuver, Anne-Laure Daffis and Léo Marchand, craftsmen of wacky and crazy universes, already at work in their first film, My neighbors’ neighbors are my neighbors.
Image taken from the adaptation of the “Roman de Renart”. / Lardux Films
The multiplication of these adaptations would therefore rather sign the will of the producers to turn to reassuring projects for the financiers. Scalded by the recent failures of demanding animated films, whether intended for young people or adults only, professionals increasingly feel they have to jostle to set up their projects and reach their audiences.
Glimmer of hope : Forbidden to dogs and Italiansa formidable family story by Alain Ughetto, presented in 2019 at Cartoon Movie, has attracted nearly 150,000 spectators in theaters since its release at the end of January.