Paris-based sales company Goodfellas has moved quickly to capitalise on the Cannes launch of Richard Linklater’s French-language comedy-drama Nouvelle Vague, sealing a US$4 million domestic deal with Netflix and drawing a wave of interest from international distributors less than a week after the film’s 11-minute standing ovation on the Croisette.
The agreement, brokered by CAA Media Finance, is believed to set a record price for a French-language title in North America, surpassing previous festival benchmarks according to industry trackers monitoring Cannes transactions.
Goodfellas has simultaneously closed key European deals: Germany’s Plaion will handle theatrical release, while long-time partner ARP Sélection retains French distribution ahead of an 8 October rollout. The company’s official market slate lists the film alongside its other competition entries, underscoring its status as the banner title in a portfolio aimed at high-end arthouse buyers.
Running 105 minutes and shot in black-and-white Academy ratio, Nouvelle Vague recreates the 1959 production of Jean-Luc Godard’s Breathless through the eyes of Guillaume Marbeck’s Godard and Zoey Deutch’s Jean Seberg. Cineuropa notes that the feature is fully French-financed despite an American director, a structure that has eased multi-territory licensing under Europe’s co-production rules.
Nouvelle Vague is Linklater’s first competition berth at Cannes since 2006 and headlines a five-title Goodfellas roster that includes Saeed Roustaee’s Woman and Child and the Dardenne brothers’ Young Mothers. Market screenings for the slate have been filled to capacity throughout the festival’s opening weekend.
Goodfellas’ momentum reflects its evolution since rebranding from Wild Bunch International in 2023, a move designed to clarify the company’s independence while maintaining co-founder Vincent Maraval’s emphasis on director-driven cinema. Further territory announcements for Nouvelle Vague are expected after additional Marché du Film screenings later this week.