It would appear that Marion Cotillard really has been cast in the big Portuguese production ‘Mistérios de Lisboa‘ – according to yesterday’s news item on Ante-Cinema.com. Thanks Nadine for the information and Mariana for the translation:

Marion Cotillard (Public Enemies), Louis Garrel (The Dreamers), Léa Seydoux (Inglourious Basterds) and Melvil Poupad (Speed Racer) are part of the impressive international cast of Mysteries of Lisbon, one of the biggest Portuguese productions ever, which also includes Portuguese actors Adriano Luz, Maria João Bastos, São José Correia, José Afonso Pimentel, Ana Padrão, Catarina Wallenstein, Ivo Canelas, Margarida Vila Nova, Carloto Cotta, among many others.

Chilean director Raoul Ruiz is in Portugal to prepare this ambitious project, that will recreate the city of Lisbon of the end of the 18th century, beginning of the 19th century, and that will culminate in a long-feature film and a TV series. Produced by Paulo Branco — in a Clap Filmes/Alfama Filmes co-production –, Mysteries of Lisbon will be shot mainly in Lisbon, but also in France and in Brazil. The film will already have two days of shooting during the month of September.

Interestingly, Léa Seydoux was handed her Chopard Trophy by Marion Cotillard at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. Note that in this bit of information Laetitia Casta is no longer listed.

Edit: According to the producer’s website Marion Cotillard’s involvement is not definite yet as they posted yesterday:

Melvil Poupad, Léa Seydoux, Gregoire Leprince-Ringuet, Martin Loizillon, Louis Garrel and, possibly, Marion Cotillard are part of the impressive international cast of Mysteries of Lisbon, one of the biggest Portuguese productions ever.

As reported by Le Film Français last Thursday, Marion Cotillard will be narrating the documentary ‘Voyage sous les mers 3D‘, directed by Jean-Jacques Mantello and produced by his brother François. Thanks to her involvement the project will receive more attention from the media and thus help bring the importance of the environment’s protection more to people’s attention.

The film will be released in cinemas across France August 26, 2009. Titled ‘OceanWorld 3D‘ the documentary is also set for a US release in 2009, no specific date is yet available. However, my guess is that someone else will be providing the English narration (IMDb listing).

A tribute to the ocean, “Oceans 3D” takes viewers on a voyage through, among others, Californian kelp forests, the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, and Roca Partida Island off the coast of Mexico, which is home to thousands of sharks. Audiences will witness some of the most spectacular and unforgettable scenes of life beneath the waves ever captured in 3D: the manta ray’s enchanting ballet; the noble procession of hammerhead sharks; the lion fish’s relentless hunt; a group of young dolphins playing algae-football; the astonishing beauty of the Spanish dancer sea slug; and a unique encounter with the largest cetaceans on the planet.

Great news, I hope this is really happening! Variety reports that Warner Bros. is in talks with Marion Cotillard, Cillian Murphy and Ellen Page to join the cast of “Inception,” which Christopher Nolan wrote and will direct as his next film. Leonardo DiCaprio has already been set to star. Filming is set to begin this summer for a 2010 release.

What is it about? Apparently, “the subject matter has been kept under tight wraps, with the studio describing the film as a contemporary sci-fi actioner set within the architecture of the mind.” But The Hollywood Reporter has a bit more information:

However, as the casting process progresses, details are beginning to leak out. DiCaprio’s character is mentioned as a CEO-type, while Cotillard would play his wife. Page is a young college grad student and DiCaprio’s sidekick.”

Marion Cotillard has signed on to a new project: ‘L’ Ennemi public n° 1‘. Synopsis: The story of Jacques Mesrine, France’s public enemy No. 1 during the 1970s. After nearly two decades of legendary criminal feats — from multiple bank robberies and to prison breaks — Mesrine was gunned down by the French police in Paris.
Also attached are Vincent Cassel as Mesrine and Eva Green. Marion Cotillard and Eva Green will be playing two women who were both Mesrine’s lover and partner in crime at different stages of his life. Jean-Francois Richet is directing. Shooting is to begin in May 2007 for 30 (!) weeks in Canada and France.

Upon doing research on this exciting new project I stumbled upon another interesting news: Marion Cotillard is lending her voice to Gloria, an animated penguin, in the French version of ‘Happy Feet‘. In the original version Gloria has been voiced by US-actress Brittany Murphy.