Sony Pictures Intl. Productions Boards ‘The New Toy’ With Daniel Auteuil, Jamel Debbouze (EXCLUSIVE)
Sony Pictures Intl. Productions has boarded “The New Toy,” a French comedy that will be directed by James Huth and will be headlined by Cesar award-winner Daniel Auteuil and popular French comedian Jamel Debbouze.
“The New Toy” is inspired by Francis Veber’s 1976 cult classic “The Toy,” which was previously remade in the U.S. by Richard Donner in 1982 with Richard Pryor and Jackie Gleason in the leading roles.
Huth penned the adapted screenplay with Sonja Shillito. In the original film, a poor journalist finds himself as a toy of a boss’s son. Making friends with the naughty child, he tries to save him from the cruel power of his father.
“’The Toy’ was Francis Veber’s first film and it left a mark on me when it was released in theaters in 1976,” said the well-established French producer Richard Grandpierre, who is producing “The New Toy.”
“I have seen it dozens of times. I’ve always wanted to adapt it as it was both a comedy and a social satire. It took time, but thanks to Sony Pictures and the exceptional work of Mr. Veber, cinema often achieves the impossible,” said Grandpierre. The producer worked with Huth on two movies previously.
Laine Kline, head of Sony Pictures Intl. Productions, praised Grandpierre for doing a “masterful job assembling all of the best creative elements for this classic adaptation that will be fresh and contemporary.”
Production on “The New Toy” will begin in January and is expected to open in theaters in February 2022.
“At Sony Pictures France, we are extremely pleased to partner with Richard Grandpierre, who managed to gather a dream cast for such an ambitious remake,” said Stéphane Huard, the managing director of Sony Pictures Intl. Productions France. “Daniel Auteuil and Jamel Debbouze directed by James Huth is the best team to seduce the French audience,” added Huard.
Sony Pictures Intl. Productions is the local production arm of Sony Pictures Entertainment’s Motion Picture Group. The banner’s “Padre No Hay Mas Que Uno 2” became the highest grossing film in Spain this year.
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