Bernard Loiseau Biopic Announced, Directed by Lilti
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- Chi‑Fou‑Mi Productions and 31 Juin Films announced a partnership with Loiseau’s family to develop and produce a film about the chef’s life, with Thomas Lilti as writer‑director.
- Thomas Lilti will helm the biopic, drawing on his reputation for medical‑profession dramas such as Hippocrates and its spin‑off Interns.
- Bernard Loiseau earned a third Michelin star in 1991 while leading La Côte d’Or in Saulieu, a feat that later inspired Pixar’s Ratatouille character Auguste Gustave.
- Bernard Loiseau died by suicide in 2003 at age 52, reportedly fearing the loss of his third Michelin star, a tragedy that shocked culinary circles worldwide.
- Bérangère Loiseau, chairwoman of Groupe Bernard Loiseau, praised the project, saying it reflects the dedication and pursuit of excellence essential to gastronomy.
- Nicolas Dumont will produce the film for Chi‑Fou‑Mi, whose head Hugo Sélignac is also presenting the Cannes entries “Another Day” and “Full Phil”.
- Agnès Vallée at 31 Juin Films, together with Emmanuel Barraux, has collaborated with Lilti since his breakout film Hippocrates.
Why it matters: The film gives the Loiseau family a platform to shape his legacy, while providing Mediawan’s Chi‑Fou‑Mi and 31 Juin Films a high‑profile project that expands their portfolios and showcases Thomas Lilti’s direction of a culinary figure. It also highlights the psychological pressures of elite gastronomy, a dimension rarely explored in mainstream biopics.
