Audrey Diwan signs Naomi Watts in her drama 'Emmanuelle', shares a snap with co-star Noemie Merlant

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Naomi Watts will now be seen in Audrey Diwan’s upcoming erotic drama ‘Emmanuelle.’ The movie is based on Emmanuelle Artisan's novel and the screenplay is being co-developed by Diwan and Rebecca Zlotowski.

As per Variety, it is the story of a woman and her erotic fantasies that she imagines over time.

'Emmanuelle' is based on a novel

Previously, Just Jaeckin directed a flick in 1974 based on the book featuring Sylvia Kristel. No surprise, it instantly became a cult movie which garnered a lot of attention.

Watts shared the news of her joining the project by posting it on her Instagram Story. The two-time Academy Award winner shared an image with co-star Noemie Merlant. However, she later deleted the post, with the critically acclaimed French actor.

Merlant is widely recognized for her role in Celine Sciamma’s ‘Portrait of a Lady on Fire,’ before featuring in Todd Todd Field’s Oscar-nominated film ‘Tar.’

Merlant will be seen in the titular role in ‘Emmanuelle' whereas Will Sharpe, Jamie Campbell Bower, Chacha Huang, and Anthony Wong will fill in the shoes of other characters.

Audrey Diwan's vision of the movie

The filmmaker Diwan is most recognized for ‘Happening' which got her the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival. It is also based on the story of a woman in the 60s who went ahead with with an illegal abortion.

In an interview with Deadline, Audrey said, "It has been fascinating. It has been a huge amount of work. It’s always strange to talk about a movie you haven’t finished yet, but I can say a few things: this movie is based on a quest for pleasure, and a lost pleasure."

"I try to tell the movie through 'Emmanuelle’s sensations. Each sequence is like an exploration. Winning the Golden Lion gave me the freedom to try something quite different and to explore. That was where the motivation for this movie came from," she added.

The movie also won the Cesar Award for best female newcomer which was bagged by Anamaria Vartolomei and earned nominations at BAFTAs and at DGA Awards, to name a few. Chantelouve, Rectangle Productions, and Goodfellas are producing the flick.