Fans are eagerly exploring the live-action series Cat’s Eyes, a prequel to the classic 80s manga, which follows three sisters as they become thieves to solve their father’s mysterious disappearance. In an adrenaline-fueled plot, they attempt to steal a painting linked to him during an exhibition at the Eiffel Tower. Director Alexandre Laurent highlights the intricate filming process, combining actual tower footage with studio shots to create a thrilling chase scene, capturing the essence of Paris.
Discover the Thrilling World of Cat’s Eyes
After months of anticipation, fans are finally diving into the exciting first episodes of Cat’s Eyes, a live-action adaptation of the beloved 80s manga by Tsukasa Hôjo. This series serves as a captivating prequel, delving into the origins of Cat’s Eyes – three sisters who turn to thievery in their quest to unravel the mystery behind their father’s disappearance, which occurred a decade ago during a fire at his art gallery.
A High-Stakes Heist at the Eiffel Tower
When a piece of artwork linked to their father resurfaces at a prestigious exhibition at the Eiffel Tower, Tam (Camille Lou), Alexia (Claire Romain), and Sylia (Constance Labbé) embark on a daring mission to steal it, hoping to uncover the truth about his past. However, their inexperience as thieves quickly puts them in the crosshairs of Quentin Chapuis, Tam’s former boyfriend, who now works as an inspector at the BRB.
The series kicks off with an exhilarating scene at the Eiffel Tower, where Tam executes the theft of the painting, followed by a thrilling police chase through the iconic Parisian landmark. But was this nail-biting sequence genuinely filmed at the Eiffel Tower?
The answer is both yes and no. While some scenes were indeed shot at the Eiffel Tower, not all of them were. Alexandre Laurent, the director of the series, clarified during a press conference at the La Rochelle Fiction Festival that the sequences were a combination of real locations and studio setups. “To set up a spotlight, you have to justify each shot, specify the type of equipment, its weight, and the exact place where it will be placed,” he explained. “You should know that the Eiffel Tower is not a place where you can improvise. You have to tame this iron lady and know her.”
Over the course of five months, Laurent meticulously explored every inch of the Eiffel Tower to craft this breathtaking chase. “The first time, you come a bit as a tourist. You take photos, you don’t project yourself yet,” he shared. “The second time, you think: ‘how am I going to do it? I can’t memorize everything.’ It’s not like a set where you go up and down, and you see what you want to see in the image.”
He further detailed the complexities involved, noting that moving between levels of the Eiffel Tower involves a strict protocol. “So I did it many times from top to bottom – with vertigo at first, which then went away – to soak in and understand the places. And when I understood the geography, I could imagine Tam’s path, the places where she would walk on the beam, where she would climb. It’s a billion things that trigger in my head at that moment. She had to be secured; we had to find the places where the stuntman would place his cables…”
By seamlessly blending visual effects with live-action shots across these Parisian landmarks, Cat’s Eyes delivers an immersive experience that transports viewers right into the heart of the City of Light.