Monica Bellucci, ‘Call My Agent’ Creators Ready Cabaret Comedy ‘Ça C’est Paris’

Monica Bellucci will star alongside “Call My Agent!” scene-stealer Nicolas Maury and Cesar-winner Alex Lutz (“Guy”) in “Ça C’est Paris”(This Is Paris), a workplace comedy set in the bawdy world of Parisian cabaret. Commissioned by France Television, the crowd-pleasing series comes courtesy of Mon Voisin Productions and director Marc Fitoussi, two of the key drivers behind international breakout “Call My Agent!.”

Federation Studios will field international offers out of Lille’s Series Mania, where the six-episode series was presented as part of the Coming Next From France showcase on Tuesday. Federation execs tell Variety the series has already sparked ample buyer attention.

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The series follows the middle-aged scion to the Tout-Paris, a Cancan hotspot akin to the Moulin Rouge. While the wavering heir decides whether or not to make a clean break by selling his historic theater to a supermarket chain, “Ça C’est Paris” will also track the chaotic lives and loves of the cabaret’s troupe, from the high-kicking dancers to the stage managers, costume designers and animal wranglers that ensure that each night offers a show to remember.

The production shot in the real-life Paradis Latin — the City of Lights’ oldest cabaret, and one designed by Gustave Eiffel — while using many of the hotspot’s real dancers. Bellucci plays herself in a comic burlesque rich with dance numbers and pop cameos.

The Gallic series was among seven in Tuesday’s presentation. Other titles that drew international buzz included the modernized historical romance “A Dangerous Friendship” and the creature-feature inspired “Sea Shadows.”

Launching out of Series Mania’s French competition, “A Dangerous Friendship” recreates the court of Louis XIII — and the fraught relationship between Anne of Austria and her chief courtier, Marie de Rohan-Montbazon — by emphasizing the historical figures’ sheer youth. The young-adult cast and a corresponding accent on power dynamics would lend the 17th century epic a more contemporary look and feel, explained show creator Alain Tasma. Mediawan Rights handles international sales.

Marked by a menacing tone and high-end production values, the sci-fi thriller “Sea Shadows” circles around the scientists, activists and local fishermen themselves circling around a fearsome sea monster. In keeping with the best lessons of “Jaws,” the presenting team kept the beast hidden for the Series Mania spotlight, only fueling buyer interest for France TV Distribution.

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