French director Claude Zidi will next month start work on the second sequel to 1984 hit Le Cop (Les Ripoux), his comedy about two corrupt policemen.

The new episode, titled Super Ripoux, begins shooting on Jan 21 in and around Paris and will see the re-teaming of Philippe Noiret and Thierry Lhermitte, veterans of both Le Cop and Ripoux Contre Ripoux (Le Cop 2). They are joined by a new-comer, Lorant Deutsch , previously seen in Jet Set and Le Raid.

Production is by French major Gaumont, CPZ and Plaza Productions, the production company headed by Jacques-Eric Strauss, former head of sales agent President Film. Additional finance comes from free-TV broadcaster TF1 and satellite group TPS. Distribution in France will be by GBVI in time for a Christmas 2003 release. World sales are to be handled by Gaumont International.

Le Cop was one of the largest box-office successes of 1984 selling some six million tickets in France, while Cops 2 achieved three million admissions in 1990.

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