Oscar winner Javier Bardem and two-time nominee Kate Hudson are set to star in Hello & Paris, a film adaptation loosely inspired by Deborah McKinlay’s novel That Part Was True.
Elizabeth Chomko (What They Had) will write and direct the romantic comedy, which was optioned and will be produced by two-time Best Picture nominee Finola Dwyer (Brooklyn) alongside Fifth Season. 193 will rep sales for the film at the upcoming European Film Market in Berlin.
Described as being “in the vein of Sleepless in Seattle, When Harry Met Sally, and You’ve Got Mail“, the film’s synopsis reads: “After a prickly first encounter in Paris, a fiercely independent landscape architect and a crisis-ridden bestselling novelist begin a sparky, transatlantic exchange over books and recipes—only to discover that the one thing harder than being alone might be choosing not to be”.
Hello & Paris will be Hudson’s first project since her Oscar nomination last month for her role opposite Hugh Jackman in Craig Brewer’s Song Sung Blue. Chomko is best known for Sundance drama What They Had, starring Hilary Swank and Michael Shannon. Four-time Oscar nominee Bardem is best known for dramatic roles but hit romantic comedy-dramas include Vicky Cristina Barcelona and Eat Pray Love.
Fifth Season Head of Film Christopher Slager said: “Elizabeth Chomko is a true generational talent, and we couldn’t be prouder to bring her brilliant adaptation to life in partnership with Finola Dwyer. Javier Bardem and Kate Hudson will sweep audiences off their feet. We can’t wait for the world to fall in love with this story the way we have.”
Patrick Wachsberger, President & CEO of 193, added: “More so now than ever, I believe we are in need of stories that bring us all together, and Hello & Paris does just that. Visionary filmmaker Elizabeth Chomko has crafted a gorgeous love story, one that both fills the heart and delights the senses. With the incomparable duo of Javier Bardem and Kate Hudson in the lead roles, this film is reminiscent of the timeless classics we know and adore, but with a fresh twist – and a delicious dose of culinary indulgence. We are thrilled to be collaborating with the talented Finola Dwyer and distinguished studio Fifth Season to bring this incredible story to life.”
Chomko is represented by CAA, Entertainment 360, and Jackoway Austen Tyerman. Bardem is represented by WME and Goodman Genow Schenkman. Hudson is represented by CAA, Untitled, and Jackoway Austen Tyerman.