After winning the Cannes Jury Prize last year for Mommy, it looked like Canadian director Xavier Dolan would be following that up with English-language debut John F. Donovan. But the shooting schedule for that one has shifted and, undaunted, Dolan has lined up a top-notch cast for a new drama instead, with Marion Cotillard, Lea Seydoux, Vincent Cassel, Nathalie Baye and Gaspard Ulliel ready to make It’s Only The End Of The World.
Adapted from Jean-Luc Lagarce’s play, Dolan’s new script finds a writer heading back to his hometown after 12 years away, intending to tell his family of his impending death. But any attempts to drum up empathy are scuppered by the feuding family members, with the clan showing a singular inability to listen and love. Distribution rights for the film are expected to be a hot commodity at this year’s Cannes Film Market, and Dolan should be shooting next month.
But John F. Donovan, which has Kit Harington and Jessica Chastain attached to star in a celebrity satire, isn’t going away completely. “The shooting for John F. Donovan has gotten me really excited but it’s not going before next fall, and I want to be on the ground again before we power the Donovan machine,” Dolan says. “I thought It’s Only The End Of The World could very well bridge the genre chasm between Mommy and John F.”