The Ice Tower (French: La Tour de glace) is an upcoming fantasy drama[2] film directed by Lucile Hadžihalilović from a screenplay she co-wrote with Geoff Cox. Set in the 1970s, it stars Marion Cotillard as an actress who is shooting a film adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tale The Snow Queen, in which she plays the title character. The film is a co-production between France, Germany and Italy and is expected to be released in 2025.

The Ice Tower
FrenchLa Tour de glace
Directed byLucile Hadžihalilović
Screenplay by
  • Lucile Hadžihalilović
  • Geoff Cox
Produced by
  • Muriel Merlin[1]
  • Ingmar Trost[1]
Starring
CinematographyJonathan Ricquebourg[2]
Production
companies
Distributed byMetropolitan Filmexport (France)
Countries
  • France
  • Germany
  • Italy
LanguageFrench[2]
Budget4.9 million[3]

Plot

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In the 1970s, the enigmatic actress Cristina is shooting a film adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tale The Snow Queen, in which she plays the title character. At the same time, Jeanne, a runaway teenage orphan, takes refuge in the studio where the film is being shot and falls under Cristina's spell, and a mutual fascination grows between them.

Cast

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Production

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Development

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On 20 March 2017, Cineuropa reported that Lucile Hadžihalilović was finishing the screenplay for her next film, La Reine des Neiges (The Snow Queen), which had been selected by Groupe Ouest as one of the eight projects that would benefit from a writing coaching programme in Brittany that year.[7]

On 22 June 2023, ARTE France announced that it would co-produce the film, now titled Tour de glace (The Ice Tower), starring Marion Cotillard, who had previously worked with Hadžihalilović in her feature directorial debut, Innocence (2004),[8] and that shooting would take place in France and Germany between January and February 2024.[9] Hadžihalilović co-wrote the screenplay with Geoff Cox, with whom she had collaborated in Évolution (2015) and Earwig (2021).[8] Clara Pacini,[2] August Diehl,[2] Gaspar Noé,[2] Lilas-Rose Gilberti Poisot,[10] Raphael Reboul[11] and Wilhelm Bonnelle later joined the cast.

The film was co-produced by France's 3B Productions,[12] Germany's Sutor Kolonko,[1] and Italy's Albolina Film.[13]

Filming

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Principal photography began in Paris on 7 January 2024,[14][15][16] and wrapped in March 2024.[15][17] Filming also took place in Yvelines between February and March 2024,[18] and in the city of Bolzano in Northern Italy, between late February and late March 2024.[19][20][21]

Release

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The Ice Tower is expected to be released in 2025.[22] The film will be released theatrically in France by Metropolitan Filmexport.[1] International sales are handled by Goodfellas.[1]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f Keslassy, Elsa (5 July 2023). "Marion Cotillard to Star as the Snow Queen in Lucile Hadzihalilovic's 'La Tour de Glace,' Goodfellas to Handle Sales". Variety. Archived from the original on 9 October 2023. Retrieved 20 August 2024.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i "The Ice Tower". Goodfellas. 4 June 2024. Archived from the original on 20 August 2024. Retrieved 20 August 2024.
  3. ^ "Dossier N° EX080842 - La Tour de Glace" (PDF). Région Île-de-France (in French). 17 January 2024. pp. 21–22. Archived (PDF) from the original on 20 August 2024. Retrieved 20 August 2024.
  4. ^ "Les douze Nancéiens de 2024". La Semaine (in French). 11 January 2024. Archived from the original on 12 January 2024. Retrieved 20 August 2024.
  5. ^ "Raphael Reboul". Filmmakers.eu. Retrieved 20 August 2024.
  6. ^ "Wilhelm Bonnelle". Filmakers.eu. Retrieved 17 October 2024.
  7. ^ Lemercier, Fabien (20 March 2017). "Houda Benyamina and Lucile Hadzihalilovic for the Groupe Ouest". Cineuropa.
  8. ^ a b Lavallée, Eric (22 June 2023). "Snow Queen: Marion Cotillard Toplines Lucile Hadzihalilovic's "La Tour de glace"". Ioncinema. Archived from the original on 22 June 2023. Retrieved 20 August 2024.
  9. ^ "ARTE France Cinéma s'engage sur cinq nouveaux longs métrages". Arte Magazine (in French). 22 June 2023.
  10. ^ Agence AML (13 February 2024). "Début de tournage du long-métrage « LA TOUR DE GLACE » réalisé par Lucie Hadzihalilovic avec Marion Cotillard ! Tellement heureuse pour Lilas-Rose Gilberti Poisot !". Instagram (in French). Archived from the original on 20 August 2024.
  11. ^ "Raphael Reboul". Filmmakers.eu. Retrieved 20 August 2024.
  12. ^ "The Ice Tower". Unifrance. Archived from the original on 20 August 2024. Retrieved 20 August 2024.
  13. ^ "La Tour de glace / The Ice Tower / Der Eisturm (WT)". Crew United. Archived from the original on 20 August 2024. Retrieved 20 August 2024.
  14. ^ "La Tour De Glace (Feature Film)". Film & Television Industry Alliance. 30 October 2023. Archived from the original on 21 August 2024. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
  15. ^ a b "Casting IDF : fille de 6 à 7 ans pour un film avec Marion Cotillard". Figurants.com (in French). 14 November 2023. Archived from the original on 20 August 2024. Retrieved 20 August 2024.
  16. ^ "Shooting Summary / January-February 2024". British Cinematographer. 17 January 2024. Archived from the original on 20 August 2024. Retrieved 20 August 2024. Jonathan Ricquebourg AFC started shooting Lucile Hadzihalilovic's La tour de glace.
  17. ^ "Sélection Annuelle 2024" [Annual Selection 2024]. Le Groupe Ouest (in French). 4 April 2024. Archived from the original on 26 August 2024. Retrieved 20 August 2024. Lucile Hadzihalilovic vient de terminer le tournage de « La Tour de Glace » [Lucile Hadzihalilovic has just finished filming "La Tour de Glace"]
  18. ^ "Casting Yvelines : femme et hommes, divers profils, pour un film avec Marion Cotillard". Figurants.com (in French). 3 January 2024. Archived from the original on 26 August 2024. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
  19. ^ "Si gira a Bolzano … "The Ice Tower" di Lucile Hadzihalilovi che racconta la storia della giovane orfana Jeanne". Cinemotore (in Italian). 25 February 2024. Archived from the original on 20 August 2024. Retrieved 20 August 2024.
  20. ^ "Bolzano: in città le riprese di "The Ice Tower" film con Marion Cotillard". Alto Adige Innovazione (in Italian). 11 March 2024.
  21. ^ IDM Film Commission (26 March 2024). "Behind the scenes of the shooting of THE ICE TOWER at Gerichtsplatz/Piazza del Tribunale in Bozen/Bolzano with director Lucile Hadzihalilovic and producers Ingmar Trost from Sutor Kolonko and Matthias Keitsch from @albolina.film". Instagram.
  22. ^ "Wilhelm Bonnelle". Virtuoz Agency. Retrieved 20 August 2024. (sortie cinéma prévue pour 2025)
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