Gaumont cooks up The Chef with Jean Reno

French major Gaumont has announced it will start principal photography on The Chef, starring Jean Reno, beginning on May 26. The Euros 10m gastronomic comedy-adventure is directed by Daniel Cohen and co-stars Michael Youn. Youn plays a self-taught haute cuisine aficionado; Reno stars as a great veteran chef.

According to Gaumont’s Cecile Gaget, the film will bring audiences into some of the most fabulous restaurants of Paris. The female lead is currently being cast while Australia (Icon), Latin America (Gussi), CIS (Top Film), Poland (Monolith) and the Middle East (Four Star) have already pre-bought. Offers are also in from Benelux, Germany and Italy.

Gaumont has also announced sales on Eric Toledano and Olivier Nakache’s Untouchable with Medusa taking Italian distribution rights and an option on an Italian-language remake at script stage and Benelux’s Victory also acquiring the film. The buzzy title is produced by Quad, who were behind last year’s hit Heartbreaker.

Gaget and her team will screen 10 minutes of the film, a touching comedy based on the true story of a wealthy tetraplegic man and his odd assistant he hires. Francois Cluzet and Omar Sy star in the Euros 12m film set for release by Gaumont in December 2011.

According to Gaget, the US majors are circling rights with strong interest also coming in for an English-language remake.

Also on Gaumont’s slate are official selection The Conquest, with US and UK offers on the table; Olivier Marchal’s A Gang Story; Remi Bezancon’s A Happy Event; the English-language remake of Nicolas Winding Refn’s Pusher, and Refn’s new project, Only God Forgives (partnering with Wild Bunch).