Banderas, De Palma Cherchez la Femme

ByABC News
February 6, 2001, 6:58 PM

February 5 -- Antonio Banderas is set to star as a paparazzo in director Brian De Palma's $30 million-$35 million thriller Femme Fatale, but there's just one hitch.

Producer Marina Gefter tells Variety that the project still needs a leading lady, a "sexy Rita Hayworth type," to portray the femme of the title, but concedes, "There just aren't that many [women] like that around anymore."

Gefter adds, "The atmosphere will be very stylish. Brian wants it to be a homage to the French film noir of the '40s."

Already, the search for the right leading lady has taken four months, and the producers are reportedly "on the verge" of finding their elusive femme fatale.

Shooting will begin March 12. The English-language film will be shot in Paris and Cannes, France, with some of the action taking place during the film festival.

De Palma's last films were the poorly received Mission to Mars and Snake Eyes. With this new project, he's said to be returning to his early moviemaking style of Scarface and The Untouchables. In other words, ladies and gentlemen, he's looking for a hit.

Banderas is next in theaters with the romantic thriller Original Sin.