Christophe Barratier, the French documentarian turned fiction filmmaker who directed the worldwide success Les choristes (The Chorus) in 2004, is readying a new musical film. The project carries the working title Faubourg 36 and again stars Gérard Jugnot, who played the do-good teacher Monsieur Mathieu in Les choristes. The latter was one of the biggest European successes of 2004 and made over €50 million worldwide without any big stars or major specials effects. It was nominated for two Oscars: for Best Foreign Language Film and Best Original Song. Filming on Barratier's follow-up Faubourg 36 is scheduled to start on location in France in July.

The screenplay for Faubourg 36 is from the director, Julien Rappeneau and Pierre Philippe and is again a musical set in the first half of the 20th century. It looks at three Parisian dance hall veterans who try to put on a show during the general strike of 1936. The men occupy the stage of their former employer, the dance hall Chansonia, to put on their own programme but are hindered in their attempts by the director of the venue.

Besides Jugnot, Faubourg 36 will also star Les choristes-veterans Kad Merad and Maxence Perrin as well as Clovis Cornillac, who will soon be seen as the new Astérix in the live-action adaptation of Astérix aux Jeux Olympiques (Astérix at the Olympic Games). Faubourg 36 is a co-production with Germany and should be ready for a release in the first half of 2008.

(source: european-films.net)