Oscar winner Javier Bardem and two-time nominee Kate Hudson are set to lead a romantic comedy adaptation titled Hello & Paris. The film, inspired by Deborah McKinlay’s novel That Part Was True, marks Hudson’s first project following her recent Oscar nomination. Directed by Elizabeth Chomko, it draws comparisons to classics like Sleepless in Seattle and When Harry Met Sally.
The upcoming romantic comedy Hello & Paris brings together Javier Bardem and Kate Hudson in an unlikely pairing, charting the budding romance between a fiercely independent landscape architect and a crisis-ridden bestselling novelist. After a prickly first encounter in Paris, the duo embarks on a sparky transatlantic exchange over books and recipes, discovering that choosing connection might be harder than solitude. The project is loosely inspired by Deborah McKinlay’s novel That Part Was True and is described as being in the vein of Sleepless in Seattle, When Harry Met Sally, and You’ve Got Mail.
Elizabeth Chomko, known for directing the Sundance drama What They Had starring Hilary Swank and Michael Shannon, will write and direct the film. It is being produced by Finola Dwyer, a two-time Best Picture nominee for Brooklyn, alongside Fifth Season. Sales representation will be handled by 193 at the European Film Market in Berlin.
This marks Hudson’s first role since her Oscar nomination last month for her performance opposite Hugh Jackman in Craig Brewer’s Song Sung Blue. Bardem, a four-time Oscar nominee best known for dramatic roles, has ventured into romantic comedy-dramas with films like Vicky Cristina Barcelona and Eat Pray Love.
Fifth Season Head of Film Christopher Slager praised the team, stating: “Elizabeth Chomko is a true generational talent, and we couldn’t be prouder to bring her brilliant adaptation to life in partnership with Finola Dwyer. Javier Bardem and Kate Hudson will sweep audiences off their feet. We can’t wait for the world to fall in love with this story the way we have.”
Patrick Wachsberger, President & CEO of 193, added: “More so now than ever, I believe we are in need of stories that bring us all together, and Hello & Paris does just that. Visionary filmmaker Elizabeth Chomko has crafted a gorgeous love story, one that both fills the heart and delights the senses. With the incomparable duo of Javier Bardem and Kate Hudson in the lead roles, this film is reminiscent of the timeless classics we know and adore, but with a fresh twist – and a delicious dose of culinary indulgence.”
