PARIS — Award-winning French director Audrey Diwan will begin shooting her remake of 1970s erotic classic “Emmanuelle” next month, with Noémie Merlant in the title role.
Merlant will replace Lea Seydoux, who was originally tapped for the role of a diplomat’s wife in Bangkok who experiences a sexual awakening.
The role of Emmanuelle was made famous by Sylvia Krystel in the 1974 film by Just Jaeckin, which spawned a series of increasingly outlandish sequels.
The new adaptation, co-starring Anamaria Vartolomei, will be based on Emmanuelle Arsan’s original 1967 novel, with a script co-written by Diwan and fellow filmmaker Rebecca Zlotowski.
Production companies Wild Bunch International and CAA Media Finance introduced the project to prospective buyers at Cannes in May. The film will reportedly be shot in English, on location in Paris and Hong Kong between late September and the end of the year.