Lupin Star Omar Sy Boards WWI Drama Father & Soldier
Moviegoers are about to start seeing a lot more of Omar Sy in the coming years. The French actor is lining up a number of high-profile roles, including a political WWI action drama that has him teaming back up with the same studio that produced his previous hits like the Netflix series "Lupin."
Sy stole hearts in 2011's "The Intouchables" as Philippe, a young man from the Paris projects who gets hired as a caregiver for a wealthy quadriplegic. The performance landed Sy a César award for best actor (via Reuters) and helped launch his career even further into the Hollywood stratosphere. Per his IMDb profile, his filmography also includes roles in "X-Men: Days of Future Past," "Jurassic World," Ron Howard's "Inferno," and "Transformers: The Last Knight."
In October, the "Lupin" star became the first French actor to net a multi-year movie deal with Netflix, and he was recently named one of Time's 100 Most Influential People in the World. Soon, Sy will be seen in "Jurassic World: Dominion" and the French film "Tower of Strength," as well as the aforementioned war drama. Here's what we know about the project so far.
Omar Sy will play a devoted father fighting alongside his son in Father and Soldier
According to Variety, Omar Sy will star in the upcoming film "Father and Soldier." The outlet reports filming on the feature is underway in France and will soon move production to Senegal, the home country of Sy's character, Bakary. Per Variety, Bakary is a protective father who enlists in the army after his teenage son, Thierno, is recruited. The two men fight together in the trenches as World War I rages, with Bakary doing whatever he can to keep his son from harm.
"Father and Soldier" is being produced by Unité and Sy's production company Korokoro, in addition to Gaumont, Variety notes. "'Father & Soldier' sheds light on unsung heroes of the great war while tackling universal themes such as family bonds in wartime," says Alexis Cassanet, Gaumont executive VP of international sales and distribution. "We're very proud to accompany Omar Sy [in] coming to the big screen with a project that is close to his heart and is being directed by the talented Mathieu Vadepied."
"This film is coming together at a time in my life where I feel an urge to connect the cultures and histories of two countries which saw me grow up — as a producer, alongside Unité, and as an actor — in order to pay tribute to these deserving men," Sy said in a separate statement. "I feel happy that this film has received the unwavering support of France Televisions, Canal Plus, as well as Gaumont and [company president] Sidonie Dumas to whom I'm addressing a wink because we have such a beautiful history together, since 'Untouchable' and 'Chocolat.'"