TEHRAN-The celebrated Iranian filmmaker Asghar Farhadi is set to return to Paris for his next film “Parallel Tales,” 12 years after making his French-language directorial debut with “The Past” (2013).

The film brings together a powerful French cast, including Isabelle Huppert (“Elle”), Virginie Efira (“Benedetta”), Vincent Cassel (“Black Swan”), Pierre Niney (“The Count of Monte Cristo”), and Adam Bessa (“Ghost Trail”). Iconic French actor Catherine Deneuve will also make an appearance in the film, Honaronline reported.

The cast of “Parallel Tales” is particularly exciting as it mixes some of the biggest names in French cinema from different generations and cinematic horizons, notably Huppert and Efira, and Cassel and Niney, whose recent epic film “The Count of Monte-Cristo” was France’s second biggest box office hit in 2024 with 10 million admissions sold. Bessa, meanwhile, is a rising French talent who was nominated for a Cesar Award for his performance in “Ghost Trail” earlier this year.

The story was written by Farhadi and adapted by Massoumeh Lahidji, but is being kept under wraps for the time being.

“Parallel Tales” is set to begin shooting in Paris this fall. The film is being set up as a French-Italian-Belgian coproduction. 

Produced by long-time collaborator Alexandre Mallet-Guy alongside Farhadi and David Levine, the prestige project will be launched by Charades and UTA Independent Film Group at the upcoming Cannes Film Market. Charades will handle international sales, while UTA Independent Film Group will rep U.S. rights. Memento will handle distribution in France, releasing in Spring 2026. 

Farhadi, who is attached to France through his friendship and collaboration with Mallet-Guy, previously struck a chord with “The Past” which starred Tahar Rahim and Berenice Bejo. The movie competed at Cannes in 2013 and won best actress for Bejo, and received five César nominations and a Golden Globe nomination in 2014.

This will be the 10th feature-length movie by Farhadi who was first revealed in competition in Locarno in 2006 with his third feature film “Fireworks Wednesday.”

One of Iran's most prominent cinematic voices, Farhadi, 52, is known for his thought-provoking films that explore social issues. He earned a bachelor's degree in dramatic arts from the University of Tehran in 1988 and later a master's degree in theater direction.

Farhadi won the Best Foreign Film Oscar in 2012 for “A Separation” (which was also nominated for Best Screenplay) and once again in 2017 for “The Salesman”

He has been selected four times in competition in Cannes with “The Past,” “The Salesman,” “Everybody Knows,” and “A Hero”. 

“The Salesman” won Best Screenplay and Best Actor awards at Cannes in 2016 and “A Hero” scooped the Grand Prize in 2021 festival.

“Everybody Knows,” Farhadi’s Spanish-language debut starring Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem, opened and competed at Cannes in 2018.

Farhadi was also selected twice in Berlin. He was awarded the Silver Bear for Best Director in 2009 for “About Elly” and the 2011 Golden Bear for “A Separation”.

SS/SAB