Ch’tis star Dany Boon earns €26m
Star of box office hit Bienvenue chez les Ch’tis earns more than Tom Cruise.
THE star of box office hit Bienvenue chez les Ch’tis Dany Boon is the highest earning cinema star in Europe raking in €26 million.
He came top of a list of the ten highest earning actors and actresses in France published by Le Figaro, overtaking Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise.
The money is thought to have come from profits from the hit film. The rights have been sold to an American company for a remake starring Will Smith - Welcome to the Sticks.
His co-star in the film Kad Merad came in at number seven earning €1.7 million. Gérard Depardieu was at number two with €3.54 million and top of the actresses was Josiane Balasko with €1.4 million.
A survey carried out by Le Figaro on its internet site saw the title of best film go to Mesrine, the story of notorious French gangster Jacques Mesrine and follow-up film to the first film Public Enemy No. 1.
It pulled 26.3% of the votes from the several thousand people who took part and its star Vincent Cassel (La Haine, Irréversible) was also voted as best actor.
Other films in the list included family drama Le Premier Jour du reste de ta vie which received 19.4% of the votes.
Best actress went to Yolande Moreau pulling 29.3 % of the votes for her role in Seraphine, based on the life of French painter Séraphine de Senlis. She was followed by Kristin Scott Thomas.
The accolade of best foreign film in Le Figaro’s poll went to Into the Wild written by Sean Penn, with 36.8 % of the votes. Two Lovers by James Gray pulled 11.2%.
The poll comes ahead of the Césars awards ceremony for French cinema which takes place this evening, hosted by Antoine de Caunes.
It will be shown on Canal+ from 19.05.
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Photo:Alain Flandrin
