Clearly as the maker of a 2011 silent film, Michel Hazanavicius is a filmmaker drawn to risky endeavors. After winning worldwide acclaim for The Artist its writer-director is now taking a new risk, pursuing acting with the satirical comedy Jacky au royaume des filles, which translates to Jacky in Women's Kingdom. Though he's previously appeared in such French comedies as Yvan Attal's My Wife is an Actress and Alain Chabat's Didier, Jacky in Women's Kingdom--which is what we'll call it until U.S. distributors bestow it a flashier title—will mark his first major role.
Variety reports comic book artist turned filmmaker Riad Sattouf, who made his directorial debut with the 2009 coming-of-age comedy The French Kissers, wrote and will helm this funny feature which is set in a world where gender roles are reversed, and women reign in a military dictatorship. Hazanavicius will reteam with My Wife is an Actress star Charlotte Gainsbourg, who most recently awed audiences in Lars Von Trier's Melancholia. She will play the love interest of the title character, Jacky, who fears that she—being a gorgeous and powerful colonel—is way out of his league. Hazanavicius has signed on to play the young man's mentor in amour.
Curiously, this casting announcement makes no mention of who will play the film's besotted protagonist. But with production slated to kick off in Paris September 24th, that detail should drop soon. In the meantime, Hazanavicius will continue prep work on his next feature, a re-imagining of the 1948 war drama The Search, which will star his wife and The Artist's beguiling leading lady Bérénice Bejo.
