At the beginning of June 2010 Marion Cotillard travelled together with Greenpeace to the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Congo: Forests on probation is an impressive 7-part video diary of Marion’s stay there and documents the plundering of the Congolese forests. I am leaving on a short holiday so I don’t have the time to upload pictures but I encourage you to watch these videos.

I will catch up on all the ‘Inception‘ promotion and other Marion news once I’m back next week. And here’s a TV alert: She will be the guest on the Late Late Night Show with Craig Ferguson on the day of ‘Inception‘s LA premiere: July 13.

Marion Cotillard is gracing the cover of the August issue of Harper’s Bazaar UK. I will be on the lookout for the magazine on newsstands here to add scans. She talks about David Lynch, Dior and being Leonardo DiCaprio’s ‘love interest’ in the interview. Be sure to check their website for their upcoming Marion style gallery.

Fabulous news! At the UK premiere of his movie ‘L’Arnacoeur‘ (Heartbreaker) director Pascal Chaumeil confirmed the casting of Romain Duris and Marion Cotillard in his upcoming comedy ‘Vivre c’est mieux que mourir‘.

What are you working on next? Do you have another project after this?
Yes. We have… probably… again, it’s a comedy, a bit different from Heartbreaker. And it’s, it would be with Romain, normally, he read the script, he likes it and normally it’s with Romain Duris and Marion Cotillard. It’s like an action, adventure comedy. A bit more crazy than L’Arnacoeur.

That sounds wonderful! What is the story about? You said it’s got lots of action and comedy.. is it…
Yeah, it’s difficult to tell the story. But in fact, there are two films in the same film. One is the story happening really in the real life where a guy is working in a hotel, he’s a very small guy in a hotel. And he gets into something, he steals some money from a client because he needs to do something. And then he finds the only place where he’s safe in this hotel is in a room where is a very big producer. And the guy, the producer thinks he’s a screenwriter that he’s waiting for. So he will have to invent a new film, and he’s never been a writer. So we are going from the real situation to the film he’s telling, the story. So, that’s something special, but I think it will be very funny.
Source: LeicesterSquareTV (watch video as of 5:46 minute)

During the Cannes Film Festival it was announced that Romain Duris would work again with director Pascal Chaumeil – together they delivered the hit movie ‘L’Arnacoeur‘. The title of the new project is ‘Vivre c’est mieux que mourir‘ – which translates roughly to ‘Better alive than dead’. Interestingly, Wednesday’s issue of French newspaper L’Express listed the project at the end of an article about the balance between commercial and indie productions.

Vivre c’est mieux que mourir, by Pascal Chaumeil. Comedy with Marion Cotillard and Romain Duris, written by six screenwriters, including Laurent Zeitoun.

The movie is an Action Comedy, in which a hotel employee has to act as a scriptwriter to get out of a messy situation in which he put himself. He actually has the habit of stealing from hotel guests. But then one day he’s caught by a Hollywood Producer-Director. Clever as he is he will charm the producer and convince him to develop a movie about espionage. Sounds intriguing and I can’t wait to hear more about the possible involvement of Marion in it. Huge thank you to Nadine for finding this information!

On a sidenote, better quality pictures have been added to these albums: Vogue, Vogue Portraits and Vogue Diaries.

In a ‘Web Exclusive’ Vanity Fair magazine listed The Top 10 Most Stunning French Actresses – among them Marion Cotillard, of course.

Name: Marion Cotillard.
Age: 34.
At her most stunning … surprisingly, in heavy makeup, channeling the passion of French songbird Edith Piaf in La Vie en Rose (2007), for which she won a best-actress Oscar.

And it looks like the promotion for ‘Inception‘ will bring a treat: Marion Cotillard will grace the cover of US Vogue magazine. I can’t wait to see the cover & the editorial!

This past Tuesday Variety reported that both Colin Farrell and Marion Cotillard are attached to star in David Cronenberg’s self-penned adaptation of Don DeLillo’s novel ‘Cosmopolis‘. The company who’s handling international sales rights is presenting the project to buyers during the Cannes Film Festival. David Cronenberg himself first mentioned the project last summer. Here’s the IMDb listing.

The $20.5 million film is penned by Cronenberg and produced by Portuguese producer Paulo Branco’s Alfama Films and Cronenberg’s Toronto-based Antenna, in association with Kinology.

The thriller follows a multimillionaire on a 24-hour odyssey across Manhattan. Farrell will play the asset manager who loses all his wealth over the course of one day. Cotillard will play his wife.

Lensing will take place from March to May [2011] in Toronto and New York.

And here some further information about the movie from Alfama Films:

Undoubtedly one of the main figures of American literature, Don DeLillo signs with Cosmopolis a visual and frenetic piece of work, in a single unit of space and time – 24 hours in New York.

Eric, a 28 year old Golden Boy, turned his life into a violent and obsessive microcosm of today’s world, above which a looming shadow leads to the worship of “matter” above all things.

For David Cronenberg, visionary filmmaker of the collapse of the world, the adaptation of this novel, halfway between reality and the virtual dimension, where the hero hides in a maze of, somehow, senseless images, appears as a promise of enlightenment for each viewer.

On a sidenote, Marion Cotillard was already once attached to a project starring Colin Farrell while finances were being secured at the Cannes Film Market. In the end ‘Ondine‘ happened without her. Also Colin may not pronounce Marion’s surname correctly (as heard at an awards event earlier this year) but he attended the Pre-Golden Globe dinner in her honour back in January 2008.

Last Friday, many Spanish websites reported that the governor of Veracruz, Mexico, Fidel Herrera Beltrán announced that they will received the producers of a Marion Cotillard movie this past Thursday and that she will be filming in Veracruz (source). Before long, they will also meet with Marion herself according to this. Many thanks Nadine for the heads up!

I have no idea what this could be about. Maybe ‘Second Coming‘ – for which she is also a producer – or possibly her documentary about re-forestation projects? What are your thoughts?

I think pretty much everyone knows by now that Marion Cotillard is starring in Woody Allen’s new movie set in Paris and up until now only known as Woody Allen Summer Project 2011. We know a bit more about it now but first let’s start at the beginning.

It was reported on March 2 by Deadline.com that Woody Allen cast Marion Cotillard as the “Muse” in his new Paris-based movie. On April 4 it was confirmed by Le Parisien that Marion Cotillard had really been cast for the movie and that filming in Paris was scheduled to begin July 5.

Shortly afterwards, rumours emerged that Marion was replacing France’s first lady Carla Bruni-Sarkozy despite the NY Daily News reporting on April 4 that Ms Bruni was overheard as saying “It’s a real part, not just a cameo. But if I’m no good, I expect him to cut me out!” Official confirmation from Woody Allen’s rep that both Marion and Carla will be in the movie came via CNN on April 6.

Now onto the latest news. Variety reported that in a rare move Woody Allen announced a title as well as plot details for the movie yesterday. (usually he waits to see the finished product before giving it a name – if it’s good, he’ll give it an attention-getting title; if it’s bad, a less flashy one according to New York Magazine). Anyway, the movie is now titled “Midnight in Paris” and stars Owen Wilson, Marion Cotillard, Rachel McAdams, Kathy Bates and Carla Bruni. Also in the cast are Michael Sheen, Nina Arianda, Tom Hiddleston, Corey Stoll, Mimi Kennedy and Kurt Fuller.

Plot synopsis:

“Midnight in Paris” is a romantic comedy that follows a family travelling to the city for business, including a young engaged couple that has their lives transformed throughout the journey. The film celebrates a young man’s great love for Paris, and simultaneously explores the illusion people have that a life different from their own is better.

As we learned last December the 3rd chapter of the Lady Dior story is set in Shanghai and features a short film directed by none other than David Lynch. Last week more details as well as preview pictures appeared online. The Print Ads – shot by Steven Klein featuring Marion Cotillard as Lady Blue against the skyline of Shanghai and its Oriental Pearl Tower – premiered last week in Air France Madame and should appear in various fashion magazines this month (e.g. May issues of UK Elle and Harper’s Bazaar).

More details about the short film: Teasers will appear online April 20 and the full 12-minute (!) short film will debut on Lady Dior May 15, the same day John Galliano is set to unveil Dior’s cruise collection in Shanghai. What is happening in it?

In the David Lynch film, Marion is reciting a poem that he wrote, and was inspired by the Pearl Tower itself. The words and building fuse in the picture he paints on-screen. Shanghai is such a vibrant and inspiring city.
- John Galliano

He [David Lynch] asked me to dance in front of these red curtains with all this smoke and music… I can’t even put it into words yet!
- Marion Cotillard

Source: WWD & Another Magazine

P.S. According to PurePeople the 4th and last chapter will be set in Moscow.

Finally it seems to be happening! Marion Cotillard will, accompanied by a chorus of 100 children, take the lead in Arthur Honegger’s play Jeanne au bûcher when it will be staged at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris for two special performances on November 12 and 13, 2010.

Source: PurePeople.com

Some background information: Marion Cotillard already once took part in this play back in July 2005 in Orléans. Then the January 2009 issue of Studio Ciné Live announced that she’d reprise the role in July 2009 in Paris. However, no further details were ever announced. Our forum member Kit heard back from the theatre last April. It was still under negotiation and details were not settled yet. Unfortunately, Marion’s busy schedule meant that it didn’t happen last year.