Netflix unveils the first images of BigBug, the science fiction comedy by Jean-Pierre Jeunet with Isabelle Nanty, Elsa Zylberstein, Stéphane de Groodt …
Announced in November 2019, BigBug marks the return to the cinema of Jean-Pierre Jeunet after The Extravagant Voyage of the young and prodigious TS Spivet released in theaters in 2013. For this science-fiction comedy, the director of the Fabulous Destiny of Amélie Poulain or even Delicatessen, finds his writing companion Guillaume Laurant.
Together, they decided to tackle the subject of artificial intelligence and robots in the form of a quirky comedy. In these first images with a very vintage aesthetic, we can already recognize the touch and the spirit of Jeunet. And the synopsis, too, seems straight out of his universe:
“In 2050, artificial intelligence is everywhere. So much so that humanity relies on it to satisfy its every need and every desire – even the most shameful …
In a quiet residential neighborhood, four domestic robots suddenly decide to hold their masters hostage in their own home. Locked together, a not quite blended family, an intrusive neighbor and her enterprising sex robot are therefore forced to put up with each other in an increasingly hysterical atmosphere! Because, outside, the Yonyx, the latest generation of androids, are trying to take power.
As the threat draws closer, the humans deceive themselves, envy each other, and tear each other apart under the bewildered eyes of their indoor robots.
And if, deep down, it was the robots that had a soul … or not!“
Saved by Netflix
In January 2020, when BigBug went into production, Jean-Pierre Jeunet told the genesis of this project on his official site, returning to the difficulties in convincing producers and distributors until it falls into the hands of Netflix:
“I lived for this project, (all things considered) a bit the same story as Scorsese with The irishman. I dragged this script to France for 4 years, saw myself rejected by everyone, as it had been in their time Delicatessen and Amelie Poulain. And like Amélie, Brigitte Maccioni from UGC fell in love with it and wanted to produce it. But she did not succeed because obviously robots in a French comedy, it does not fit in a box.
And one day David Kosse of Netflix wrote to me from London asking if I wouldn’t have a project. The “yes” with a big smile came back 24 hours later!“
BigBug will be released on February 11 on Netflix.