Penélope Cruz and Pedro Almodóvar Collaborate on Asghar Farhadi's New Film

According to Asghar Farhadi, the famous Spanish actress and Oscar winner Penélope Cruz will star in the new film directed by this filmmaker. Pedro Almodóvar will also be the producer of this film. Farhadi, who won an Oscar for the film "A Separation," is set to direct his next film in Spain. In an interview published on September 7 in the Iranian newspaper Shargh, he provided new information about his upcoming film. Farhadi explained the reason for choosing Penélope Cruz for his next film, saying, "I have always loved her acting, especially in her Spanish films like 'Volver,' directed by Pedro Almodóvar; a year ago when we discussed the story I had in mind, I was sure she was the right choice for this role because of the enthusiasm I saw in her." He further added about the Spanish actress, "Later, with her personality, high motivation, and love for her work, I became more certain that she is the one who should play this role. With each meeting over the past year, this confidence grew in me." According to Shargh, Penélope Cruz also explained her collaboration with Asghar Farhadi in an interview with Spanish media, stating, "A year ago, Asghar told me the story of his next film, and without reading the script, I told him I would act in this film because I think he is an extraordinary director; the story is very powerful, and I really want to play that role." The title of Farhadi's new film has not yet been specified, and the director is currently working on the final stages of the screenplay. Asghar Farhadi's international project is set to begin in October next year in Spain. This film is a joint production of France and Spain. The Oscar-winning writer and director completed the screenplay last year and plans to start filming in Spain in October 2016. Asghar Farhadi, Angelina Jolie, and Pedro Almodóvar were nominees for the 69th Golden Globe Awards. Alexander Malaguti, the director of the French company Memento, which also produced Farhadi's film "The Past," along with Pedro Almodóvar, will jointly produce the new film by this Iranian director. Almodóvar and Farhadi were competitors for the Golden Globe award in 2012, which ultimately went to Farhadi. Almodóvar is a Spanish director, screenwriter, and producer known for films like "All About My Mother" (1999) and "Talk to Her" (2002), and won the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film with "All About My Mother." According to Shargh, Asghar Farhadi intends to film a movie in Iran before starting his Spanish project this year. He is currently in discussions with the crew behind his Iranian film. "The Past" was the first film Farhadi made outside of Iran, produced by a French company. It was screened at numerous international festivals and was nominated for Golden Globe and César awards, winning the Best Actress award at Cannes for Bérénice Bejo, the lead actress in the film. Before Ms. Bejo, French actress and Oscar winner Marion Cotillard was supposed to star in "The Past," but this collaboration was canceled at Farhadi's request.