Luc Besson’s Much-Buzzed ‘Dogman’ Moves Release to Fall, Aiming For Festival Premiere

Last week, there was a report that Luc Besson’s “Dogman,” starring the always-excellent Caleb Landry Jones, “wowed buyers” at Berlin’s European Film Market, where it was screened for a select few.

That seems to be have been more than enough for the film to move its April release date in France to a launch in the fall launch, possibly in October.

Variety’s Elsa Keslassy is reporting that the move is to allow distributors to prepare a coordinated global release “after a launch at an A-category festival”. It would mark the first Besson-directed movie to open at a festival in decades.

We don’t know which festival will world premiere the film, but it’s, obviously, either Cannes or Venice. I’m betting on the latter since it coincides more smoothly with the film’s fall release date.

Besson hasn’t released a film since 2019’s “Anna.”

Gregoire Melin, founder of Kinology, who is handling sales on the film, had this to say about the overwhelming reactions the film received from buyers:

“We hosted only one private screening of the completed film and buyers were stunned, they all came out saying that it was Luc Besson’s best film to date, his most mature movie and some even called it a masterpiece,”

Landry Jones stars as Douglas, a man who was abused as a child by his violent father and viciously thrown to dogs. Instead of attacking him, the dogs came to protect him and became his allies. On a journey to heal from childhood trauma and physical injury, Douglas seeks to find his own path, even if it means bending societal rules, gender and going overboard with his love of dogs. The trailer, which was teased at the Paris event, show Landry Jones impressively transforming into a woman, and embracing the part, emotionally and physically.

“Dogman” is said to be reminiscent of Besson’s darker, earlier films, notably “Leon: The Professional,” “The Big Blue,” “La Femme Nikita” and “Subway.”