“Mlle Bottine” gets a theatrical release date!

The French-language family film I consulted on is set to open its theatrical run on November 29th.

I am excited about this wonderful film project. A remake of a beloved 1986 movie Bach et Bottine, I worked as a story consultant on the contemporary project for several months with screenwriter-producer Dominic James.

Mlle Bottine is a family drama-comedy filled with heart and humor. Dominic’s vision for the types of stories he intends to produce as president of La Fête Films is what he describes as “live-action Pixar” movies. Here is a teaser trailer for Mlle Bottine which gives you a sense of that vision.

I was on set in Montreal last October and I spent time with both of the movie’s lead actors: Antoine Bertrand and Marguerite Laurence. They are delightful, both on and off camera. For example …

On my first day there, Marguerite raced up, looked me square in the eyes, and in a burst of French (interpreted by the director’s daughter) told me, “You must accompany me on a ghost tour!” Off we went scurrying all over a sprawling abandoned bank which was being used as the staging ground for production in Montreal while I was there. Marguerite would grab my hand, yank me up and down stairs, into and out of dusty rooms, all the while spinning a saga she made up on the spur of the moment.

Marguerite: (breathless rapid fire French)

Me: (confused, shrugging shoulders at the director’s daughter)

Director’s Daughter: (interpreting) She says you must not look there. No, not there! Be careful ! Or else the ghosts will cut off your head!

And so it went for a whirlwind fifteen-minute tour.

The young actor oozes charisma, charm, and talent, all of which is readily visible on screen. This may be her film debut, but it’s clear she has immense acting talent.

When I worked with Dominic on the story, we used the same character-driven principles from my book The Protagonist’s Journey. Dominic is using this same approach on other La Fête movie projects.

Dominic’s business model is to produce French-language family films, then go to Hollywood or the U.K. with that IP in hand and remake each project for English-language audiences.

Audience testing for Mille Bottine has been through the roof, so they are positioned well to make the most of the company’s success.

Congratulations, Dominic, and the entire cast and crew of Mlle Bottine. I look forward to attending the film’s premiere in Montreal in November.

“Mlle Bottine” gets a theatrical release date! was originally published in Go Into The Story on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.