Gaumont to launch French basketball comedy ‘The American Dream’ at AFM

EXCLUSIVE: Gaumont is launching sales at the AFM on Anthony Marciano’s sports comedy The American Dream, based on a true story about a pair of friends who ended up becoming two of the biggest agents in the NBA.

Raphael Quenard and Jean-Pascal Zadi star as the real-life Jeremy Medjana and Bouna Ndiaye, a video store clerk and his friend who have no money, no connections and barely speak English, but defy the odds to land multi-million dollar deals and transform the landscape of global basketball.

Gaumont has released a first-look image from the €12m feelgood comedy (above), which is produced by Quad Films (The Intouchables) and Gaumont and currently in post. Gaumont will release the film in France on February 18, 2026.

“Bouna and Jérémy built their path from nothing, their journey goes beyond the world of sports,” said Marciano, whose previous credits are 2013 debut feature The Brats starring Alain Chabat and 2019 ensemble comedy Play. “This film is a human adventure. I want audiences to leave the theater with dreams in their heads and the strong will to make them happen.” 

Quenard and Zadi have both won the Cesar award for most promising actor and both are also writer-directors. Zadi’s acting credits include Simply Black and Gilles Lellouche’s Beating Hearts; Quenard also appeared in Beating Hearts as well as Jeanne Du Barry and I Love Peru which he co-wrote and co-directed as well as starred in.

Alexis Cassanet, Gaumont’s executive VP of international distribution and co-productions, said: “The American Dream is an inspiring story that promotes positive values like never giving up and pushing beyond one’s own limits. Basketball serves as a backdrop for an incredible human adventure that is both funny and moving. We can’t wait to share the promo reel with buyers at AFM.”

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