Writer/director Bruno Dumont initially made his name with a series
of dark and disturbing dramas like
The Life of Jesus and L'Humanité but has leaned towards comedy in recent years with his satire
France
and TV mini series P'tit Quinquin. The Empire sees Dumont embrace full-on slapstick in a tale
of two warring alien forces who take their galactic battle to the
filmmaker's regular setting of Northern France.
The film stars Fabrice Luchini, Camille Cottin, Lyna Khoudri and
Anamaria Varolomei.
The Empire is in US cinemas from March 7th. A UK/ROI
release has yet to be announced.
Check out the trailer and poster below.
The official synopsis reads:
In a quiet and picturesque fishing village in Northern France, a very special child is born, unleashing a secret war between extraterrestrial forces of good and evil. In an attempt to restore their empires, two opposing forces from the depths of outer space, One and Zero, unleash an apocalyptic conflict on Earth. The villainous Zero forces secretly take over the bodies of village locals in order to foster pandemonium on the planet. At the same time, a new species engineered by the One is working towards a new, harmonious evolution. While waiting for the final battle, the imperial legions struggle to win humanity over to their cause.
