Principal photography of Serge Gainsbourg (Vie Heroique) is due to start on January 19, 2009 and will continue for 13 weeks on location in Paris.

The film will be the directorial feature debut of Joann Sfar, the award-winning French graphic artist. Sfar also wrote the screenplay.

Serge Gainbourg (Vie Heroique) is being produced by One World Films in conjunction with Universal Pictures International Studio (UPIS) and Studio 37.

The film is the first local production that UPIS has co-produced in France.

It is One World's second film project following Alix de Maistre's Pour Un Fils (For A Son).

The film traces Gainsbourg's life from a young boy named Lucien Ginsburg in 1940s occupied Paris, to his subsequent transformation into the world renowned poet, songwriter and singer Serge Gainsbourg.

Speaking about Joann Sfar, Christian Grass, president of UPIS said: 'His cutting edge creativity and unique take on the character of Serge Gainsbourg is what really drew us to this project - the first local language film we'll be co-producing in France.'

Universal Pictures International retains French theatrical distribution and home video rights to the project and will release the film in France in 2010. Studio 37 holds the international sales which will be run by Kinology.

Eric Elmosnino stars as Gainsbourg, Laetitia Casta plays Brigitte Bardot, while Mylene Jampanoi takes the role of Bambou.

Frederique Dumas of Studio 37 said: 'The film combines two worlds, Joann Sfar's and Serge Gainsbourg's, the magic of one and the emotional strength of the other. The script is beautiful, and Joann's cinematic vision is unique, which gives the film a universal appeal. We are extremely happy to be collaborating with Universal on a film led by two such talented producers.'