Philippe Rousselet’s Vendome Pictures has announced its first project, teaming with Mark Gordon on the sci-fi thriller Source Code starring Jake Gyllenhaal. Summit International has already pre-sold rights to more than 15 territories at AFM.

Duncan Jones, fresh from his critically acclaimed low budget sci-fi Moon, will direct the story of a US soldier who wakes up in the body of an unknown commuter and is forced to live and relive a train bombing until he can find the perpetrator. Ben Ripley wrote the screenplay with revisions from Billy Ray.

Mark Gordon of The Mark Gordon Company will produce with Rousselet, a longtime French producer who set up Vendome with co-CEO Fabrice Gianfermi a year ago backed by a $115m revolving credit facility funded by a consortium of banks. Production is set for first quarter 2010 and Summit Entertainment will release in the US. CAA packaged and arranged financing for the film.

The title has been one of the hottest at the market, with rights going to Optimum in the UK, Kinowelt in Germany, Hopscotch in Australia, SND in France, Aurum in Spain, Sandrew Metronome in Scandinavia, and Belga in Benelux.

Deals also closed with E1 (Canada), The Daisy (South Korea), Sun Distribution (Latin America), Jaguar (Middle East), Fida, (Turkey), Sahamongkol (Thailand), United King (Israel), Odeon (Greece), and Sam Film (Iceland).

“Source Code is the perfect film on which to launch the Vendome slate,” Rousselet said. “The film offers a unique and engaging story that we believe will appeal to a world-wide audience.

“Furthermore having the opportunity to work alongside Mark and Duncan is a dream start for our company and exemplifies the types of producers and film-makers we at Vendome plan to be in business with.”

“Jake and I have been trying to find a project together since we worked on The Day After Tomorrow,” Gordon said. “He’s a wonderful actor and perfect for this role in Source Code.”

Gyllenhaal is currently filming Love And Other Drugs for Ed Zwick. He will next be seen in Jim Sheridan’s Brothers and the upcoming Prince Of Persia: The Sands Of Time.

Jones is currently writing the screenplay of the upcoming film Mute, which he will also direct.

Source Code will be overseen on behalf of Vendome by the company’s president of production Jeb Brody along with executive vice-president of production Tracy Underwood.

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