Wild Bunch lines up new films from Kusturica, Dardennes

Continuing its relationship with Emir Kusturica, Wild Bunch is handling the director’s next film, Cool Water. This is the first outing for the auteur with a script he did not write and, according to Wild Bunch’s Vincent Maraval, boasts a more narrative structure than the director’s previous work while remaining a pure Kusturica comedy.

Gabriel Bornstein’s script (which will be available in Cannes) forms a road movie with a twist. Two Palestinian brothers must drive from Jerusalem to Ramallah in what would normally be a 45-minute journey. The hitch, however, is that they are carting their father’s dead body in the trunk of their car. The Brave New Work Filmproduktions and Fidelite production will shoot (with director of photography Thierry Arbogast onboard) this summer. Wild Bunch Distribution France and Wild Bunch Germany will release in their respective territories.

Cool Water will shoot prior to Kusturica’s next big project, Pancho Villa. That Wild Bunch film is gearing up for a summer 2011 shoot with Johnny Depp in line for the lead.

Meanwhile, Wild Bunch is collaborating with Cannes favorites Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne on an as-yet-untitled project that will shoot this summer. The story of an 11-year-old boy, abandoned by his father, who ends up with an unwitting young woman (Cecile de France) to care for him.

Produced by Les Films du Fleuve, Archipel 35 and Lucky Red, the film will be distributed by Diaphana in France. Wild Bunch will have a script available in Cannes.