Search for sexy new 'Emmanuelle' kicks off in Cannes

CANNES, France (AFP) - The search is on to find a "fresh, unknown talent" to star in the first steamy "Emmanuelle" feature film to be made in years.

The new 21st-century erotic icon won't just be a sex kitten. She will be part of a marketing juggernaut -- heading up a new Emmanuelle brand of perfume, make-up, clothing and lingerie.

The team behind the new film -- to be titled "What Else Emmanuelle?" -- gave away details Saturday about what type of girl they were seeking for their softcore feature.

"We made history before with 'Emmanuelle' and plan to do it again with a more character-driven storyline that will appeal to audiences of varied age ranges as the film follows the transformation of a young, innocent Emmanuelle into a sensual beautiful woman and spirit," Franco-American producer and distributor Alain Siritzky said in a statement.

The hugely successful series -- launched in 1974 and based on a character created by Emmanuelle Arsan in her eponymous 1959 novel -- became one of the most popular films in French history and built up a huge global fan base.

The films' popularity was mostly due to their soft-focus sex scenes, but they steered clear of raunchier, X-rated material.

Siritzky has teamed up once again with veteran French filmmaker Alain Sarde of "The Pianist" fame to produce a prequel to the long-running series.

There is little time to find the perfect woman to step into the shoes of Dutch actress Sylvia Kristel, who was arguably the most famous of all the Emmanuelles to grace the screen.

Production on the film, which will be filmed at several exotic locations, is slated to start in September.

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