Two of France’s fastest-rising young stars, Lyna Khoudri (“Papicha,” “The French Dispatch”) and Rio Vega ( “Deerskin,” “Sorry Angel”), will lead the French voice cast of animated feature “In Waves,” an unconditional first love story, and tale of loss and memories adapting American illustrator AJ Dungo’s same-titled multi-prized graphic novel.
An anticipated banner prestige animation title from Paris-based Silex Films (“The Lost Boys,” “This is My Mother”), “In Waves” lead producer, the feature also marks the first animated co-production of both Anonymous Content (“The Revenant,” “Spotlight”) and Charades, behind sales of Jeremy Clapin’s “I Lost My Body” and Mamoru Hosoda’s “Mirai,” both Oscar nominated titles.
In Waves is directed by Phuong Mai Nguyen, a former student of French animation schools Gobelins and La Poudrière who helmed episodes of the Silex-produced animated series “Brazen” and was Oscar-shortlisted for her short “My Home,” “In Waves” has just been announced as one of five titles at the Annecy Animation Showcase, part of Cannes’ Animation Day on May 19.
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A student activist in Wes Anderson’s 2021 Cannes Palme d’Or contender “The French Dispatch,” in 2020 Khoudri scored a most promising actress Cesar Award for her performance in Mounia Meddour’s “Papicha,” having won a best actress plaudit at 2017’s Venice Horizons for “Blessed.”
Vega’s credits take in both Quentin Dupieux’s“Deerskin” and Christophe Honoré’s “Sorry Angel.”
They will be joined by Paul Kircher who earnednominations for a most promising actorCésar Award for his starring roles in both 2022’s “Winter Boy” and last year’s “The Animal Kingdom,” and by Birana Ba, a member of the Comédie Française, star of Jeanne Henry’s “Je verrai toujours vos visages” and a co-star in “Transatlantic.”
“I am very happy and proud to bring these talents together to perform in ‘In Waves,’” said Bertin. “This new generation of talented French actors were chosen by the director Phuong Mai Nguyenfor their voice which allows to convey in the fairest way the sincerity of the story and the characters,” said Priscilla Bertin, who produces for Silex with partner Judith Nora.
Rio will voice the shy Los Angeles high-school student AJ, who falls heed-over-heels for Kristen (Khoudri) who is described as radiant, beautiful and popular.
As Kirsten introduces AJ to surfing, their love blooms, surrounded by their close-knit community, despite Kristen’s increasingly severe illness. “AJ is there for her as she battles the illness with dignity, never abandoning her ‘joie de vivre,’ until the very end,” a plot description runs. Kircher plays Eon, AJ’s cousin, and Ba Francisco, AJ’s friend.
“In Waves” is a true “Love Story’ with surfing and skating as a backstory. It’s an ambitious animated feature, made in a mix of 2D and 3D with a realistic 2D rendering, for a wide 13+ audience, young adults and adults,” she added.
“Its themes of first love, loss, and memory will speak to worldwide audiences across age ranges and demographics and is a needed anecdote to help inject positive emotion back into our everyday,” said Anonymous Content’s Nick Shumaker, whenPvNewannounced that the company had boarded “In Waves.”
“In Waves” is also co-produced by France 3 Cinéma and Belgium’s Panique! It is written by Fanny Burdino and Samuel Doux, screenwriters of movies by Joachim Lafosse (“After Love”) and Laurent Cantet (“Arthur Rambo”) and Warner Bros. Discovery’s soon-to-release first French original miniseries, “The Mythomaniac Of The Bataclan,” directed by Just Philippot.
The soundtrack is composed by Robin Coudert (“ROB”), behind the score of “The Bureau,” and by singer and composer Marylou Mayniel (“Oklou”).
