A New Day Has Come, Celine Dion fans. Mark your calendars for Dec. 2, 2020.
French actress, singer and director, Valérie Lemercier, has signed on to direct a movie based on the French-Canadian singer’s life, tentatively titled The Power of Love. Lemercier, 54, is also set to star as the main character, Aline — who was inspired by the My Heart Will Go On singer.
The Power of Love is being produced by French film studio, Gaumont, according to Variety. The studio added that while the film is not a biopic, it is an “homage” to Dion, 50, and loosely based off of her life.
Lemercier revealed that she will make only slight changes to the details and events of Dion’s life for the big-screen adaption.
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The Power of Love will cover the upbringing of Dion/Aline in Charlemagne, Que., her rise to fame as a young teenager before becoming a worldwide phenomenon and how she dealt with the tragic death or her longtime husband and manager René Angélil, in 2016.
“Discover the incredible story of Celine Dion through the tender, funny gaze of Valérie Lemercier — who pays her a vibrant homage,” wrote Gaumont.
Dion and her record label, Columbia, gave the project their thumbs up, allowing Gaumont access to her extensive bilingual music catalogue.
The movie will reportedly be filmed in French for the most part. Production and shooting are currently set to begin in March and will run 18 weeks in Canada, France, Spain and Las Vegas. The budget is allegedly set at a whopping US$23 million.
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Following the death of Angélil after a lengthy battle with throat cancer, Lemercier revealed that Dion’s grief inspired her to make her project a reality. She also credited the ambition and connection between the couple, as well as the singer’s mother, Thérèse Dion.
“I discovered the strength of their love story and their great humour,” she said. “Now I better understood how the alchemy of their three individual ambitions made an unwanted, little girl the greatest star on the planet.”
Gaumont’s head of international production & distribution Cecile Gaget, further promised it could be “a potential box-office hit.”
“Valérie Lemercier is impressive onstage,” Gaget added. “She’s a powerhouse who knows how to move and how to dance.”
“She’s a perfectionist and an overachiever in many ways, much like Dion.”
The Power of Love has reportedly tapped on a powerful roster of French filmmakers including: production designer Emmanuelle Duplay (120 BPM), choreographer Eric Martin (Cirque du Soleil) and Edouard Weil (Rectangle Productions) as the producer.
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The Power of Love is scheduled for its debut in France on Dec. 2, 2020.
As of this writing, no international release date has been slated.
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