Richard Rionda Del Castro of Marco Polo Production and Gilles Thompson of Acteurs Auteurs Associés (AAA) are joining forces to produce Dobermann 2: Arm Wrestle (Bras de Fer), a sequel to cult French crime film Dobermann.

The producers say Vincent Cassel, who played the title role in the 1997 original, is in negotiations
to reprise his role as charismatic criminal Yann Le Pentrec. Tchéky Karyo will return in the role of Inspector Crisitini, Dobermann’s chief adversary, and Joël Houssin, who wrote the original, will also write the sequel.

Rionda Del Castro and Thompson will produce, with Gwénaëlle Imbault of N&Co serving as co-producer and Patricia Eberle as executive producer. The $35m (€25m) film will begin shooting in Europe next year. Rionda Del Castro’s Hannibal Classics will handle world sales.

“I spent several long nights with Vincent Cassel sharing our desire to give birth to the sequel of Dobermann , a cult classic that everyone is always asking us about,” said Houssin.

Said Rionda Del Castro: “Audiences all over the world have been waiting over 12 years for Dobermann 2 and this will be a spectacular action-packed European production, shot in French and English with not only French actors but also an international cast.”

Cyril Cannizzo from France’s Agency Agent Agitateur, representing Houssin and Imbault, negotiated the deal. Leo Haidar and Robert Nau are the legal counsel for Marco Polo Production in France and the US respectively.

Marco Polo Production and AAA are also teaming on Sleight of Hand (Jeux de Main), a French action-comedy starring Gérard Depardieu, Kiefer Sutherland, Johnny Hallyday, Til Schweiger, Thomas Jane, Eric Cantona, Tchéky Karyo and Jon Lovitz. Production begins at the end of July in Paris.

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