Celebrity French chef Bernard Loiseau, who inspired a protagonist in Pixar’s Ratatouille, is to be the subject of a biopic produced by Mediawan Group’s Chi-Fou-Mi Productions and 31 Juin Films.
Thomas Lilti will write and direct, and Loiseau’s family are involved in the project.
Loiseau’s three Michelin-starred restaurant La Cote d’Or was acclaimed in French culinary circles in the 1980s and ’90s, and partly inspired the character of chef Auguste Gusteau in the 2007 Pixar hit after Ratatouille director Brad Bird visited the restaurant.
Loiseau died by suicide in 2003 at the age of 52, following media reports that he feared losing one of his Michelin stars.
Lilti’s previous credits include the 2014 feature Hippocrates and its Canal+ series spin-off, on which he is showrunner. He also directed features The Country Doctor, First Year and A Real Job, all produced by 31 Juin Films.
Hugo Selignac’s production powerhouse Chi-Fou-Mi is heading into next month’s Cannes Film Festival with an eclectic slate including Jeanne Herry’s Another Day in Competition, Quentin Dupieux’s Full Phil (Midnight Screenings) and Vertiginous (Directors’ Fortnight closing film), and Rudi Rosenberg’s Words Of Love (Un Certain Regard).
Details on casting and production start date have yet to be revealed.
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