Netflix has acquired Nouvelle Vague, Richard Linklater’s homage to Jean-Luc Godard’s Breathless, in a landmark $4 million deal following its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival. The acquisition marks a record domestic spend for a French-language film.
The film, which screened in competition at Cannes, received an 11-minute standing ovation. It reimagines the story behind Godard’s groundbreaking 1960 film, with Guillaume Marbeck playing Godard, Zoey Deutch as Jean Seberg, and Aubry Dullin as Jean-Paul Belmondo. The movie also features portrayals of legendary filmmakers including Jean Cocteau, Agnès Varda, and Roberto Rossellini.
Described as a “love letter to cinema,” Nouvelle Vague is expected to receive only a limited two-week theatrical run in the U.S. to qualify for awards before its Netflix release.
The film joins a growing roster of international prestige titles on the platform, following the streamer’s recent success with Emilia Pérez, which earned 13 Oscar nominations and two wins. Netflix hopes Nouvelle Vague will be a strong contender in the upcoming awards season, alongside other high-profile titles like Ballad of a Small Player and Frankenstein.
The script was co-written by Vince Palmo, Michèle Halberstadt, Laetitia Masson, and Holly Gent. The film is produced and distributed in France by ARP Selection, with Goodfellas and CAA Media Finance handling global sales and brokering the Netflix deal.
This acquisition underscores the growing influence of foreign-language cinema in the global market, with Nouvelle Vague poised to make a cultural and critical impact ahead of its fall release.
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