Cast announced for Serge Gainsbourg: A Heroic Life

As details for Serge Gainsbourg: A Heroic Life (Vie Héroïque) continue to come together, one thing is for sure: director Joann Sfar (of Ignatz-winning Rabbi's Cat fame) would prefer this biopic not be traditional. According to The Playlist, he refuses to use the word "biopic" at all, and his film will use special effects by the team that worked on Pan's Labyrinth. How this will color his 40-year sweep of Gainsbourg's life (from the early '40s to the '80s, stopping short of the poet/songwriter's death in 1991) is not as clear, but Sfrar insists that this won't be work in the vein of La Vie en Rose or Ray.

In May it was announced that Eric Elmosnino is set to star as Gainsbourg, and this week  brings a flood of more casting announcements via Allocine: French supermodel Laetitia Casta as Gainsbourg's lover/collaborator Brigitte Bardot, model/actress Anna Mouglalis (l'Histoire Secrete) as singer Juliette Gréco, Mylène Jampanoï as Gainsbourg's partner Bambou, singer Philippe Katerine as supporter and novelist Boris Vian, and Yolande Moreau (Paris, je t'aime) as Fréhel, an early musical influence. More roles are still yet to be cast, including Gainsbourg's daughter (and Science of Sleep star) Charlotte and famed yé-yé singer Francoise Hardy.

French-based Canadian musician Gonzales has had early involvement in Heroic Life's music, playing the piano pieces that Elmosnino mimes on-screen. The songwriter, who has produced and co-written much of Feist's breakout solo material, will also potentially appear on the soundtrack, depending on Sfar's decision regarding the use of Gainsbourg originals or covers for the film.

Related links:
Joann Sfar at First Second Books
SergeGainsbourg.com.fr
Gonzpiration.com (Gonzales official site)