The Cannes Film Festival will close its 74th edition with “OSS 117: From Africa With Love,” the third opus of the spy spoof franchise headlined by Oscar-winning actor Jean Dujardin (“The Artist”).
The movie is directed by Nicolas Bedos, the popular French director whose last film, “La Belle Epoque,” world premiered out of competition at Cannes in 2019.
The first two parodic films of the “OSS 117” franchise, which were directed by “The Artist” helmer Michel Hazanavicius, were major B.O. hits in France and traveled around the world.
“From Africa With Love” is set in 1981, 14 years after “Lost in Rio,” and follows Dujardin as the famed secret agent Hubert Bonisseur who leaves on a mission in Kenya and teams up with a young agent, who is played by Pierre Niney. The movie also stars Fatou N’Diaye and Natacha Lindinger, among others.
The film was penned by Jean-François Halin, and is produced by Eric and Nicolas Altmayer at Mandarin Production. Gaumont co-produced, is handling international sales and will it release it in theaters in Aug. 4.
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As previously announced, Cannes will kick off with Leos Carax’s “Annette,” a musical romance with Adam Driver and Marion Cotillard. The competition jury will be presided over by Spike Lee and will include French director Mati Diop (“Atlantics”), actor Tahar Rahim (“The Mauritanian”), singer Mylène Farmer, Austrian filmmaker Jessica Hausner (“Little Joe”), “Parasite” star Song Kang-ho, actor-turned-helmer Mélanie Laurent, actor-director Maggie Gyllenhaal and Brazilian helmer Kleber Mendonça Filho (“Aquarius”).
The festival will run July 6-17 with French actor Doria Tillier (“La Belle Epoque”) serving as emcee of the opening ceremony.