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Robert Pattinson admits that Bel Ami is still in editing because studio honchos are worried about alienating audiences used to his goody-two-shoes persona in the Twilight franchise.

RPattz plays the titular Bel Ami in an adaptation of Maupassant's classic novel about a 19th century womanising, social-climbing journalist who sleeps his way round Paris.

Filming in the UK and Budapest opposite leading ladies Uma Thurman, Christina Ricci and Kristen Scott Thomas wrapped in spring 2010 and was originally slated for a Christmas release. It currently has no confirmed opening date.

"We were really true to the book and because the guy is basically a shit who wins everything at the end it’s really difficult to market it – especially with me in it," Pattinson tells TF exclusively.

"Everyone’s worried that everyone’s going to be thinking, ‘Oh I want him to be nice, he’s got to be nice to all the ladies’."

Bel Ami, though, is an unrepentant cad. "I know," laughs the Water For Elephants star, "But that was fun!"

For more on Robert Pattinson and Water For Elephants check out the latest issue of Total Film, out 14 April.

Total Film

In an article Cineuropa.org site devoted to sales of movies produced by Protagonist Pictures at the Berlinale 2011, we learn that “Bel Ami” will be ready for the Festival de Cannes or Venice.

In addition, the project that have engaged Uma Thurman and Robert Pattinson, an adaptation of the novel by Guy de Maupassant Bel Ami, will be ready for Cannes or Venice. Rights have been sold to Studio Canal Plus in France
and Germany and Optimum
for the United Kingdom.

The International Film Festival in Venice runs from August 31 to September 10 and the selection announced in July. In case the film would not be presented at Cannes, it is legitimate to think that will be offered the choice of Venice. Remains whether the conditions to be proposed for selection are the same as for Cannes, ie no diffusion in a country other than the original one. If so, expect to see the film’s release date pushed back again. We will know more next April, the month in which the films will be officially announced for the selection at Cannes.
Cine Europa | Via

Berlin Film Festival's Complete Programme is up - 'Bel Ami' not listed

The complete programme for the Berlin Film Festival was released today and Bel Ami is officially not part of it.

Protagonis Pictures released their the EFM 2011 (integrated into the Berlinale) line-up and the only screenings listed are for "Tyrannosaur", "Horrid Henry The Movie 3D Promo" and "Submarine".

Fingers crossed for Cannes 2011 :)

Via BelAmiUK

via

Bel Ami

Opens: 2011
Cast: Uma Thurman, Robert Pattinson, Christina Ricci, Kristin Scott Thomas
Director: Declan Donnellan, Nick Ormerod

Summary: In Belle Epoque-era Paris, a former French soldier from the lower class returns from Algeria and becomes a journalist. Through a series of affairs with well-connected women, he uses his looks and smarts to make his way up the social ladder.

Analysis: Though sharing the same name as Europe's most prestigious hardcore gay porn studio, a fact that made many a headline writer's day when "Twilight" hunk Robert Pattinson was cast, the film is actually an adaptation of acclaimed French author Guy de Maupassant's second novel in 1885. The story is familiar, a young man basically screws over and just plain screws his way into high society, yet it's also considered one of the great books of its time and remains a perennial favourite in certain countries.

A lot of the novel's appeal however is de Maupassant's legendarily efficient and involving prose, a writing style that inspired countless others from W. Somerset Maugham to Friedrich Nietzsche, and one that will be very difficult to translate to the screen. It's also very much a classic French tale, so an English adaptation will likely get a hostile reception in western Europe even if it's good - if it's sub-par then god help anyone trying to do promotion for it over there.

Adapted by newbie scribe Rachel Bennette and directed by a pair of stage production veterans making their feature debut, the London and Budapest-shot period piece will have lots of raunchy appeal that "Twilight" moms might be nervous about their daughters seeing. One major scene is an orgy sequence with Pattinson's character which one source tells the press will be "tastefully done". That scene, shot at Kent's Crossness Pumping Station, will be drenched in candlelight and lace to disguise the fact the station is living up to its name in a different way than it was designed for.

More exciting is the cast with the brilliant Thomas, Thurman and Ricci ably supporting Pattinson who seems a better fit for this kind of material than some of his other projects. He's also joined by some under appreciated great British male talent like Philip Glenister ("Life on Mars," "Ashes to Ashes"), James Lance ("Absolute Power," "No Heroics") and Colm Meaney ("Star Trek: DS9," "The Commitments"). Set photos show off some exquisite looking costume design, but no footage is yet out and a release date isn't locked. At last report it'll be hitting the UK in August which means a likely late Summer/early Fall release in the States.

source | via

Protagonist Pictures, the Sales and Marketing Company for Bel Ami, has just released their Sundance 2011 festival line-up and unfortunately absent is Bel Ami starring Robert Pattinson and Uma Thurman.

Protagonist films Tyrannosaur and the acclaimed film Submarine are in the Sundance line-up.

BelAmiMovie

I know the 2nd one doesn't even have Rob in it, but it was too amazing not to post :)

Sourcevia ToR

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According to Allocine Bel Ami will be released in France on May 18, 2011

Translated
Cinema Release Date: May 18, 2011
Directed by Declan Donnellan, Nick Ormerod
Robert Pattinson, Uma Thurman, Kristin Scott Thomas, more
Genre: Various
Production year: 2011
Distributor: Studio Canal
Synopsis: The social rise of Georges Duroy, a daring and seductive man, employed in the office of Northen Railway, which reaches the top of social pyramid in Paris with his mistresses and journalism.
Source via Twilight Britney Fan