Léa Seydoux, Audrey Diwan Team Up on ‘Emmanuelle,’ Adaptation of Erotic Novel

Léa Seydoux and Audrey Diwan are teaming up for “Emmanuelle.” The film will mark the English-language directorial debut of Diwan, who has received critical raves and won the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival for “Happening,” the story of a woman obtaining an illegal abortion in the 1960s. Seydoux will play the title role in the film.

“Emmanuelle” was inspired by Emmanuelle Arsan’s novel and is based on a script co-developed by Diwan and Rebecca Zlotowski (“An Easy Girl”). The book centers on a woman and the series of erotic fantasies that she entertains. It was previously made into a 1974 film of the same name, directed by Just Jaeckin, and starring Sylvia Kristel. Adaptation rights for Arsan’s book were acquired by Chantelouve (Marion Delord and Reginald de Guillebon), producers on the film.

The project was announced at the Cannes Film Festival, where Seydoux is premiering two films, David Cronenberg’s “Crimes of the Future” and “One Fine Morning” from Mia Hansen-Love. Seydoux’s recent credits include “No Time to Die” and “The French Dispatch.”

In addition to “Happening,” which took on added resonance in the wake of news that the the Supreme Court is poised to overturn Roe vs. Wade and with it eliminate women in the U.S.’s constitutional right to an abortion, Diwan also directed 2019’s “Losing It,” starring Pio Marmaï and Céline Sallette.

Wild Bunch International and CAA Media Finance will introduce the project to buyers on Wednesday, May 18th in Cannes at an exclusive presentation featuring Diwan.

Diwan is represented by CAA and Adéquat; Zlotowski is represented by CAA and Seydoux is represented by Adéquat and UTA.

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