Netflix has secured distribution rights for Richard Linklater’s Nouvelle Vague, a heartfelt homage to the French New Wave and a love letter to cinema, following its premiere in competition at the Cannes Film Festival. The streaming giant reportedly paid $4 million for the film, marking a record domestic deal for a French-language movie.
Nouvelle Vague reconstructs the story behind Jean-Luc Godard’s classic, exploring the doomed romance between an idealistic French filmmaker and his American lover. The film stars Guillaume Marbeck as Godard, Zoey Deutch as Jean Seberg, and newcomer Aubry Dullin as Jean-Paul Belmondo. It also features portrayals of iconic cinema figures including Jean Cocteau, Robert Bresson, Roberto Rossellini, Jean-Pierre Melville, Éric Rohmer, Agnès Varda, and Jacques Rivette.
After its world premiere at Cannes two weeks ago, the film received an 11-minute standing ovation at the Palais des Festivals. Critic Pete Hammond described it as “a splendid love letter to the French New Wave and Godard that will make you fall in love with movies all over again.”
While Netflix plans to release Nouvelle Vague on its platform, the theatrical window in the U.S. and abroad is expected to be limited to the standard two weeks needed for awards eligibility.
This acquisition comes after Netflix’s successful awards season with the Spanish-language film Emilia Pérez, which earned 13 Oscar nominations and won two awards. Industry observers expect Nouvelle Vague to join the streamer’s growing roster of awards contenders, alongside titles such as Ballad of a Small Player, Frankenstein, and Jay Kelly. The $4 million deal is believed to be the second-highest domestic purchase for a foreign-language film, trailing only Emilia Pérez, acquired last year for a seven-figure sum.
The screenplay was written by Vince Palmo, Michèle Halberstadt, Laetitia Masson, and Holly Gent. French production and distribution will be handled by ARP Selection this fall. Sales are managed by Goodfellas and CAA Media Finance, who brokered the deal with Netflix.
The deal highlights the rising commercial and cultural impact of foreign-language cinema. Just last weekend, Neon won its sixth consecutive Palme d’Or with the Iranian drama It Was Just An Accident, another anticipated awards contender.
Richard Linklater, a five-time Oscar nominee known for Boyhood and Before Midnight, has previously presented films at Cannes including Fast Food Nation and A Scanner Darkly. Recently, he debuted the musical drama Blue Moon at the Berlin Film Festival.
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