Christophe Barratier directing The War Of The Buttons, with other cast including Kad Merad and Gerard Jugnot.

Laetitia Casta has joined Christophe Barratier’s The War Of The Buttons which Wild Bunch is handling for international sales. Casta joins Kad Merad and Gerard Jugnot with one key male cast member still to be announced. Thomas Langmann is producing the film which is the adaptation of the Louis Pergaud adventure story.

At the recent EFM in Berlin, Barratier and Wild Bunch presented the project to buyers with Sony Pictures Classics’ Michael Barker and The Weinstein Co’s Harvey Weinstein both in attendance. SPC released Barratier’s Faubourg 36 in the US in 2008 while Weinstein released Barratier’s Oscar-nominated The Chorus via Miramax in 2004.

The War Of The Buttons proved to be a hot seller in Berlin with Wild Bunch reporting the following territories closing deals: Switzerland (Frenetic), Canada (eOne), Spain (Alta), Greece (Village Roadshow), Bulgaria (Rady Vision), Czech Republic (Hollywood Classics), Romania (Independenta), Colombia (Babilla) and Taiwan (Serenity).

Wild Bunch is also in final negotiations with a Belgian distributor with Italian companies circling and a German deal expected to close before Cannes.