Rust and Bone star Marion Cotillard, largely ignored by the Academy Awards, is now in talks to topline Benoit Jacquot‘s Diary of a Chambermaid (Le Journal d'une femme de chambre), based on Octave Mirbeau‘s classic novel.
Mirbeau's erotic 19th century novel has been adapted before – in 1946, Jean Renoir directed Paulette Goddard in a Hollywood-set makeover; and in 1964, Luis Bunuel directed Jeanne Moreau in a French-Italian adaptation.
Cotillard will take the lead role of Celestine a young and ambitious woman who works as a chambermaid for wealthy families through whose eyes we see the perversions within France's upper-class society at the turn of the 20th century.
Producer Jean-Pierre Guerin told Variety that Cotillard, after a positive meeting with Jacquot, is looking forward to reading the script.
The Diary of a Chambermaid project, which lensing is expected to kick off in March 2014, is penned by Helene Zimmer and Benoit Jacquot (Farewell, My Queen).
Cotillard can next be seen this June in Guillaume Canet‘s English-language debut Blood Ties, co-starring Clive Owen, Billy Crudup, Zoe Saldana, and Mila Kunis, as well as in James Gray‘s Lowlife, which is released by The Weinstein Co.
Hit the jump to check out the complete 1946 Renoir version below and the trailer for Bunuel's 1964 take.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=C1fOrZljBJg
