PARIS (AFP) ― A movie adaptation of a kiss-and-tell bestselling book that deeply embarrassed French President Francois Hollande is in the works after his journalist ex-girlfriend who wrote it agreed to team up with a producer friend.

The producer, Saida Jawad, told French celebrity magazine Gala in an interview published on Monday that she and Hollande’s ex, Valerie Trierweiler, “are currently developing the movie adaptation of the bestseller and are looking at coproductions with French and international companies.”

The news will be a fresh blow to Hollande, who was embarrassed by Trierweiler’s book, “Thank You for this Moment” (“Merci Pour Ce Moment” in French), which first came out last September before being translated into 12 languages including English.

The memoir lays bare the turbulent, six-year relationship that Trierweiler experienced with Hollande, including 18 months by his side after he became president in 2012. It portrays France’s unpopular Socialist head of state as a callous egotist and ― perhaps most damagingly ― alleges he once insulted the poor as “toothless.”

Trierweiler’s relationship ended a year ago when another French celebrity magazine, Closer, published photos of Hollande cheating on her with a glamorous actress, Julie Gayet.

Jawad, who is also an actress as well as a screenwriter and a producer through her company Romarin Films, said “I guarantee that you will discover new things” in the movie adaptation. She said Trierweiler ― whom she described as a very close friend ― would have final say over the film.


koreaherald@heraldcorp.com