After a world premiere at the Berlin Film Festival last year and shortly after a release in its native country, Bruno Dumont’s latest movie, “The Empire,” is set to bow out in American cinemas this March. Written and directed by Dumont, this satirical comedy takes on “Star Wars” and the current state of Hollywood blockbusters through characters decidedly from the mind of one of the most popular French filmmakers working today.
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“The Empire” stars Anamaria Vartolomei, Lyna Khoudri, Camille Cottin, Brandon Vlieghe, and Fabrice Luchini. During its run at the 2024 Berlinale, the movie won the Silver Bear Jury Prize, even if its critical reception at the festival and in France upon its theatrical release was mixed.
While not a direct sequel to “Coincoin and the Extra-Humans,” itself a sequel to his television series, “Li’l Quinquin,” it is set in the same French seaside towns and does once again feature Bernard Pruvost as Roger Van der Weyden and Philippe Jore as Rudy Carpentier, the two bumbling keystone cops that are the throughline through all these films.
From a press release, here is the official plot synopsis:
In a quiet and picturesque fishing village in Northern France, a very special child is born, unleashing a secret war between extraterrestrial forces of good and evil. In an attempt to restore their empires, two opposing forces from the depths of outer space, One and Zero, unleash an apocalyptic conflict on Earth. The villainous Zero forces secretly take over the bodies of village locals in order to foster pandemonium on the planet. At the same time, a new species engineered by the One is working towards a new, harmonious evolution. While waiting for the final battle, the imperial legions struggle to win humanity over to their cause.
Produced by Jean Bréhat and Bertrand Faivre, “The Empire” will first be released at New York City’s IFC Center on March 7, with a nationwide expansion to follow. More details on the expansion will likely be announced soon. In the meantime, watch the trailer below:
