Olivier Masset-Depasse’s most recent film Mothers’ Instinct [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Olivier Masset-Depasse
scheda film] is to be the subject of an American remake, also intitled Mothers’ Instinct, which is set to be directed by the Belgian filmmaker himself. Anne Hathaway and Jessica Chastain will be the movie’s two heroines, with the latter co-producing the film via her production company Freckle Films.

Selected for the Toronto International Film Festival in the autumn of 2018, the film made a strong impression on Jessica Chastain’s agent, who immediately recommended it to the actress. Indeed, aside from the film’s aesthetic prowess, it also portrays two strong and memorable heroines, housewives caught in the chains of domesticity who slowly drift towards madness in a residential 1960s suburb.

The actress was quick to voice her interest, and, after chatting with the director at the Palm Springs Film Festival, Freckle Films, Versus Production and Mosaic set about looking for partners to help them proceed with this project. Anglo-American firm Anton Corp will be in charge of structuring the film’s finance, production agreements are in the process of being finalised and casting, which is in the hands of the screenwriter tasked with adapting Olivier Masset-Depasse’s script (which was itself adapted from a novel by the Belgian thriller writer Barbara Abel), is now underway.

Belgian producer Jacques-Henri Bronckart is overjoyed to have found enthusiastic artistic and financial partners, whether in terms of the film’s co-producers or the two main actresses. Beyond the film’s highly affecting story (the battle between two neighbours and friends who tear one another apart in the wake of a tragic accident), it’s also the director’s vision, his transposition of this modern novel set in the 1960s, which succeeded at winning over the film’s two chief protagonists, resonating with their current concerns on the topic of gender issues.

For the record, Mothers’ Instinct reigned supreme at the latest Magritte Awards - an event placing the focus on Belgian film - walking away with an impressive 9 trophies.

Filming on Mothers’ Instinct is due to unfold in 2021.