Cannes Briefs: ‘Kickboxer’ Reboots With Georges St Pierre, Dave Bautista, Alain Moussi; Warner International Takes ‘Relatos Salvajes’ To France, Spain, Lat Am; More

The Exchange has boarded sales on Radar Pictures’ reboot of 1989 Jean-Claude Van Damme action pic Kickboxer. Chinese director Stephen Fung (Tai Chi Zero) will helm and Ted Field is producing. UFC welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre (Captain America: The Winter Soldier) and WWE veteran Dave Bautista (Guardians Of The Galaxy) are starring with stunt man Alain Moussi (X-Men: Days Of Future Past, Pacific Rim) in his first lead role. The film follows David and Kurt Sloan, the descendants of a California dynasty of champions. After David wins the Karate World Championship, a promoter lures him to Hong Kong despite his brother’s protests. When David dies, Kurt turns to his former mentor Xian Chow to seek revenge on the viscous Tong Po. The film is also produced by Dimitri Logothetis and Nick Celozzi. Mike Weber and Peter Meyer will executive produce as well as Brian O’Shea, Jeff Bowler and Nat McCormick for the Exchange.

In addition to previously announced Latin American territories, Warner Bros Pictures International has retained French and Spanish distribution rights to Cannes Competition title Relatos Salvajes (Wild Tales). Argentinian filmmaker Damián Szifron’s latest is a darkly comic story of tragedy, love, deception, the past, and violence lurking beneath the surface of the everyday. Argentine star Ricardo Darín, whose recent credits include 2013 hits Septimo and Thesis On A Homicide, leads the cast. The film is produced by Hugo Sigman, Pedro Almodóvar and Agustín Almodóvar, with Matías Mosteirin and Esther García Rodriguez exec producing. Following its Cannes premiere, Relatos Salvajes will go out through Warner Bros in Argentina on August 14, with other markets to follow.

Over the weekend, Cannes organizers finalized the jury lineups for the Un Certain Regard and Camera d’Or sections. Supporting UCR jury president Pablo Trapero are Criterion Collection President, Peter Becker; actresses Maria Bonnevie and Géraldine Pailhas; and filmmaker Moussa Touré. UCR kicks off on Thursday with Party Girl by Marie Amachoukeli, Claire Burger and Samuel Théis. Nicole Garcia is presiding over the Camera d’Or jury which awards its prize to the best first film across the Official Selection and the Fortnight and Critics’ Week sidebars. Judging along with Garcia are actor Richard Anconina; technician Gilles Gaillard; journalists Sophie Grassin and Lisa Nesselson; director Héléna Klotz; and diretor and chief cameraman Philippe Van Leeuw.