French actor Vincent Cassel spoke to the Playlist this week promoting his upcoming double-feature epic, “Mesrine,” about one of France’s most notorious gangsters in the 1970s. Cassel won the César (French Oscar) for Best Actor in 2009 and the film (part one “Mesrine: Killer Instinct”) finally hits U.S. theaters on August 27th. Part Two, “Mesrine: Public Enemy No. 1” follows on September 3.
More from this interview the week of release, but we couldn’t help but ask Cassel about his role in David Cronenberg’s “Eastern Promises” and its proposed sequel, “Eastern Promises 2.” The French actor, who just finished shooting Cronenberg’s “Dangerous Method,” says that he and everyone else wants to make the film, but it may have to wait for another picture from the Canadian auteur first.
“I sure hope [it happens],” Cassel said confirming his intended involvement. “There’s a script, David Cronenberg wants to do it. The script is really good, so hopefully it’s going to go. I think David wants to make another film before [the sequel], but whenever they’re ready, I told them, ‘I’m here.’ I’m dying to do the sequel, and to be honest to work with Viggo Mortensen and David, it’s such an incredible experience. David is really easy to work with, it feels so [effortless] and when you see the results it’s always very compelling.”
That other film is very likely “Cosmopolis” starring Colin Farrell and Marion Cotillard which last we heard was scheduled for a March-to-May 2011 shoot. That $20.5 million film, an adaptation of Don DeLillo’s novel, was penned by Cronenberg himself and is a thriller that follows a multimillionaire (Farrell) on a 24-hour odyssey across Manhattan. Cotillard will play his wife.
Sequels may seem like a strange idea for a David Cronenberg film, but Cassel says everyone believes there is still ripe territory to explore. “I think that’s why eventually David wants to do a sequel for the first time in his life. He feels that the characters still have a lot to do together. The script is really good. The part will be happening in Russia.”
As for Andrew Niccol’s “The Cross,” a 24 million sci-fi pic that was supposed to shoot in September 2009 and followed the story of a man (Orlando Bloom) in the near future trying to be the first to cross a mysterious border while a guard (Cassel) will go to any lengths to stop him, well it seems kind of dead.
“I don’t know if it’s going to happen,” Cassel said. “I think the movie collapsed and he’s moved on to another one [“I.m mortal“]. Eventually, if he calls me back again… I think he’s a wonderful director so I would love to work on that one or another with him, but I think ‘The Cross’ is in limbo.”
In the works, Cassel also has Roman Gavras’ “Our Day Will Come” which will play at the Toronto Film Fest this September, plus a film called “The Monk” — based off the 17th century Gothic book of the same name — that just completed shooting in Spain. The actor says that Dominik Moll-directed film will likely aim for Cannes in 2012. More from this interview soon. — reporting and interview by Erik McClanahan