Next week Pedro Almodóvar will begin shooting his new film, “La Piel que Habito” (translated, “The Skin I Live In”), which means we’re going to be adding another pic to our most anticipated of 2011 list. Starring the previously announced Antonio Banderas and Elena Anaya, the film has the potential to be one of the most provocative of the director’s career.
A revenge picture based on crime novelist Theirry Jonque’s 2005 book, Tarantula, the film is essentially about a plastic surgeon’s revenge on the man who raped his daughter. But really, that’s just scratching the surface. You can read the full synopsis of the book here, but in short, this is a film that has a loathsome protagonist who, while seeking justice for his daughter, keeps his wife imprisoned and subjects her to humiliating sexual acts with strangers. The story also apparently features a wide variety of characters whose lives end up intersecting so it’s not a surprise to see the number of new names attached.
Marisa Paredes (Almodóvar’s “All About My Mother” and “The Flower of My Secret“), Jan Cornet, Roberto Alamo, Blanca Suárez, Eduard Fernández, José Luis Gómez (Almodóvar’s “Broken Embraces”), Bárbara Lennie, Susi Sánchez, Fernando Cayo and Teresa Manresa are all reported to have joined the cast. Longtime collaborators such as composer Alberto Iglesias, DoP Jose Luis Alcaine and editor José Salcedo will return to work with the director. The film has a tidy budget of 10 million Euros and will shoot for 11 weeks throughout Spain.
Obviously, it’s too early for release dates, but surely the film is a lock for Cannes 2011. We can’t wait. [LaRaza via Bleeding Cool]
Based on the film's announcement I read the book 'Tarantula'. Have to say it was one of the most disturbing novels I've ever read and it haunted me long afterwards. I cannot wait to see what Almodovar and Banderas do with this.