Recently confirmed: Iranian filmmaker Asghar Farhadi is set to return to Paris for his next film, “Parallel Tales,” which is eyeing a spring 2026 release in France—essentially positioning it for a world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival. The film features an impressive cast of French talent, including Isabelle Huppert, Virginie Efira, Vincent Cassel, Catherine Deneuve, Pierre Niney, and Adam Bessa.
We now have our first plot details for “Parallel Tales,” and it appears Farhadi will be tackling a sensitive and high-stakes subject—one that resonates deeply in France.
According to Cassel, the film will center on the November 2015 terrorist attacks in Paris. He is set to portray the chief of the BRI (Search and Intervention Brigade), the elite police unit that deployed the officers who killed the Bataclan terrorists and freed the hostages.
It’s a highly charged topic that is sure to spark conversation—and it puts additional pressure on Farhadi to handle the story with care.
On November 13, 2015, a series of coordinated terrorist attacks struck Paris, killing 130 people and injuring hundreds more. The attackers, linked to the Islamic State (ISIS), targeted multiple locations, including the Bataclan concert hall, where gunmen opened fire during a live performance, killing 90. It was the deadliest attack in France since World War II and prompted a nationwide state of emergency.
In a January 2024 interview (via Le Monde), Farhadi revealed that he would no longer make films in Iran, citing it as an act of resistance against the country’s “repressive” regime. “Parallel Tales” is a bold next step.
Farhadi has previously shot only two films outside of Iran—The Past (France) and Everybody Knows (Spain). He’s known for his powerful and emotionally intense Iranian dramas, including “About Elly,” “A Separation,” “The Salesman,” and “A Hero.”
Edward Berger seems to have settled on what comes next. His Lance Armstrong biopic, starring Austin Butler, is now holding casting calls, with production eyed for January.