The Cannes Market is heading into its 2024 edition with a major push to shift the spotlight to the global IP market. A series of new initiatives will tap into the thriving remake and literary adaptation business amid an industrywide intellectual property-based filmmaking frenzy.
While not a new phenomenon, IP-powered projects have exploded in recent years starting with the global pandemic and continuing into a 2023 dominated by the US strikes.
Adaptations are front and centre at the 2024 festival. In Competition, Paul Schrader’s Oh Canada is based on Russell Banks’ novel Foregone and Gilles Lellouche’s Beating Hearts is based on Neville Thompson’s novel Jackie Loves Johnser OK?. Daniel Auteuil’s An Ordinary Case is based on writings by Maitre Mo, aka Jean-Yves Moyard.
In 2023, Catherine Breillat’s Competition feature Last Summer was a French remake of Danish film Queen Of Hearts.
In an unpredictable industry, projects based on well-known IP, particularly starring recognisable talent, are more and more in demand from producers and distributors looking for sure-bet programming with lower risk and proven marketability. Proven IP also provides a baseline for content that resonates among audiences in multiple territories, key for sales companies looking to sell wide.
The three pillars of Cannes’ IP focus are the Europe-focused Cannes Remakes, a Spotlight on IP from Asia, and a bolstered Shoot the Book! programme.
While Shoot the Book! launched in Cannes in 2014, Cannes Market executive director Guillaume Esmiol says, “This year, we want to go even further with an expanded IP focus because we have noticed producers are increasingly interested in setting up projects based on existing IPs.”
Shoot the Book! will take place from May 16-17, in partnership with SCELF (Civil Society of French-Language Publishers), showcasing a selection of books with potential for screen adaptation.
The first day will see authors and publishers of 10 French and European books, four from Taiwan and four from Switzerland, the Cannes Market’s 2024 country of honour, pitch to film and TV producers. The following day, publishers and producers will meet for one-to-one discussions about potential literary adaptations to film, TV and other digital formats.
Cannes Remakes, launched in partnership with France’s CNC, will curate a selection of European feature film IP that have been successful in their original territories with strong potential for international adaptations. It will take place during a half-day event on the CNC beach on the Croisette on May 20.
With the aim of facilitating connections between international buyers and producers, the inaugural event will include a pitching session, presenting titles sourced from France, Spain and Italy with the most potential for feature adaptation followed by pre-booked one-on-one meetings and an invite-only networking cocktail event. The programme will focus on both English-language remakes and adaptations across various languages.
Among the selected titles are Stéphane Castang’s modern twist on the zombie movie Vincent Must Die, Anna Novion’s mathematics-focused drama Marguerite’s Theorem, David Victori’s Goya-winning thriller Cross The Line, and Margherita Vicario’s musical feature Gloria!.
The programme is being launched with the support of Spain’s Institute of Cinematography & Audiovisual Arts (ICAA) and Italy’s Directorate General for Cinema and Audiovisual-Italian Ministry of Culture (DGCA-MiC) and Cinecittà.
Asia
Cannes Market will also focus its Spotlight on Asia programme, launched last year in partnership with Ties That Bind and Focus Asia, on the IP market. It will feature pitching sessions on May 18 for a curated selection of hot titles from the continent spanning various formats and networking events designed to bolster connections between European and Asian professionals.
This year’s crop of titles ripe for remakes include Ricky Lee’s historical fantasy novel Sepa and Paolo Alessandro Herras’ graphic novel series Strange Natives, both from the Philippines.
From Taiwan, Don’t Cry, Dancing Girl, a 2023 musical theatre drama from the VMTheater Company, and sci-fi adventure video game OPUS: Echo of Starsong created in 2021 by Brian Lee for SIGONO will be in the spotlight.
Japanese IP includes supernatural noir fantasy animated TV series Which Hunter ROBIN from Hajime Yatate for Bandai Namco Filmworks and animated romance feature film Jiao Jiao from Studio4°C Co., Ltd. set to be released in autumn 2024.
Minfong Ho’s 1975 Thai young adult novel Sing to the Dawn rounds out the selection. Partners for the IP from Asia programme include Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP), Taiwan Creative Content Agency (TAICCA), VIPO | Visual Industry Promotion Organisation, and Singapore Film Commission.
Esmiol explains: “We have observed, particularly during our visit to the ACFM and Busan market, the great fertility of Asian IPs, including remakes and books, but also anime, webtoons, and video games, so we wanted to enhance our Spotlight Asia programme with a presentation of Asian IPs.”
The Marché will also host a workshop at its Producers’ Club on May 19 in collaboration with ACE Producers and Dark Riviera, devoted specifically to the role of independent producers in IP development and how to adapt writing for different formats and leverage talent to diversify and strengthen films based on such IP.
The Cannes Market runs from May 14-22, 2024 alongside the festival, which runs May 14-25.
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