SNEAK PEAK OF "ILLUSIONIST" AT CANNES

According to the Hollywood Reporter, Pathe will unveil the much-anticipated first footage from the Sylvain Chomet animated film "The Illusionist" (L'Illusionniste) at the Marche du Film in Cannes. Chomet is both the writer and director of this adaptation of original and previously unproduced material by Jacques Tati. Work on the project was started in 2006 and it is scheduled for release in the UK and France in 2009. The budget for the 2D and CGI generated film is said to be $22MIL. "The Illusionist" tells the story of "a dying breed of stage entertainer whose thunder is being stolen by emerging rock stars. Forced to accept increasingly obscure assignments in fringe theaters, garden parties and bars, he meets a young fan who changes his life forever."