The Beast (French: La Bête) is scheduled to have its world premiere in official competition at the 2023 Venice International Film Festival on September 3, and the first poster for Bertrand Bonello's (The Dam, Zombie Child) sci-fi tinged romantic drama has been released online.
The one-sheet features a close-up of star Léa Seydoux (No Time To Die, Crimes of the Future), and while it doesn't exactly give us much to go on, it's been confirmed that the movie is loosely based on Henry James' 1903 novella The Beast in the Jungle.
The story is set in the near future, where emotions have become a threat. A woman, Gabrielle (Léa Seydoux), finally decides to purify her DNA in a machine that will plunge her into her past lives and rid her of all strong feelings. She then meets Louis and feels a powerful connection, as if she had always known him.
The tale then unfolds over three distinct periods: 1910, 2014 and 2044.
Bonello co-wrote the film with Guillaume Bréaud and Benjamin Charbit.
Gaspard Ulliel was originally in line to play the male lead, but when he tragically died as the result of a skiing accident last year, George MacKay (The Outcast, 1917) was brought in to take on the role.
The rest of the cast includes Guslagie Malanda as Poupée Kelly, Dasha Nekrasova as Dakota, Martin Scali as Georges, Elina Löwensohn as Clairvoyant, Marta Hoskins as Gina, Julia Faure as Sophie, Kester Lovelace as Tom, Félicien Pinot as Augustin, Laurent Lacotte as Architect, Weronika Szawarska as Veronica, and Jasmine Van Deventer
The Beast is set to hit theaters in France next February, but hasn't been given an international release date yet. Hopefully, we'll see a trailer before the Venice premiere.