Montreal: Cinemaginaire producer Denise Robert has two features on the go this spring, a $10 million majority European coproduction called Le Jour et la nuit from French writer/philosopher Bernard-Henri Levy, and Le Siege de l'ame, a fantasy thriller and the second feature from Quebec director Olivier Asselin.

Jour et la nuit stars Alain Delon, film legend Lauren Bacall, Arielle Dombal and Quebec actress Julie Du Page.

Robert was first introduced to the project by Unifrance Film topper Daniel Toscan du Plantier. Coscripted with Jean-Paul Enthoven, Jour et nuit is Levy's feature debut.

In this story, a prominent writer withdraws to the seclusion of a small Mexican village only to find his peace of mind undone with the arrival of a film producer and actress.

A 10-person stcvq Quebec crew is servicing the shoot (20% Canadian). Pierre Latour's Film Tonic is handling distribution.

As for Asselin's film, produced by Cinemaginaire's Arlette Dion, it's described as an elaborate turn-of-the-century fantasy thriller with lost museum artifacts and missing beauties.

Robert acquired the rights to the film from Amerique Film in April '95. It's being shot on a budget of $1.4 million, with investment from Telefilm Canada and sodec. Principal photography goes from May 14 to June 14.

The cast was incomplete at press time, but so far includes Emmanuelle Bilodeau, Lucille Fluet and Remy Girard. Craft credits go to dop Daniel Jobin, art director Stephane Roy, pm Martine Allard and costume designer Helene Rainbird.

Le Siege de l'ame will be in theaters next year and will be distributed by Malofilm Distribution.

Cinemaginaire recently wrapped Le Pain des Oiseaux, a tv movie directed by Denys Arcand.

Robert says Arcand's English feature project is on hold: "Denys is considering his options."

Cinemaginaire features in development include projects from director/actress Paule Baillargeon (Sonia, Le Sexe des Etoiles), documentary filmmaker/Gazette columnist Josh Freed and playwright Rene-Daniel Dubois (Being at Home with Claude).

Pretty Poison

Principal photography begins May 21 through to mid-June on Pretty Poison, a National Studios mow location shoot for Fox Network.

David Burton Morris is directing this remake of the 1968 movie starring Tony Perkins and Tuesday Weld. A dark, ironic tale, not without humor, the film tells a 1920s small-town story of a young, disturbed ex-con who becomes the victim of a beautiful, but alas, even more deranged seductress, says producer Ian Patterson. Patterson worked here earlier on Cinar Films' Are You Afraid of the Dark?

Francis Kenny is the dop, Diane Hughes is the art director, and Grant Show (Melrose Place) and newcomer Wendy Benson star.

The shoot is crewed by the stcvq.

Mega-buck TV anthology from the Scott bros

Telescene Communications and Scott Free, filmmaking brothers Ridley and Tony Scott's company, have announced an agreement to produce The Hunger, a 22 half-hour drama anthology of the erotic and bizarre.