Fourteen years after they concocted the idea, Jeunet and Caro's ambitious fantasy of a bitter old "dream thief" and those who rally against him has become a reality: "The City of Lost Children."
In the four years since the acclaimed "Delicatessen," which earned two Cesars (France's Academy Awards), the duo have worked to bring their long-aborning vision(s) to the screen. Reteaming with their "Delicatessen" producer Claudie Ossard, Jeunet and Caro undertook extensive preparations to mount the complex production. Careful planning and a generous pre-production period were essential. Two leading French special-effects houses, one digital and one computerized, were contracted to realize Jeunet and Caro's most imaginative, and most challenging, ideas.
Filming began on April 18, 1994 at studios, and on soundstages, just outside of Paris. Principal photography lasted for 20 weeks, concluding on September 6, 1994.
"The City of Lost Children" has inspired the creation of a computer game. The interactive adventure is being developed at the Psygnosis company in France, in close collaboration with Marc Caro. Making use of 3D graphics, the game brings the user into the world of the film, with options to explore approximately 100 different rooms as part of a storyline similar to the film's (and in-character as Miette or One). Music from the film is incorporated as well. Sony's distribution of the game will include the Sony Playstation and CD-ROM versions.
Last modified 9-November-1995.
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