"Persepolis" to take second bow, sans subtitles

NEW YORK (Hollywood Reporter) - The French film "Persepolis," an Oscar-nominated animated feature, will return to theaters in an English-language version on April 11.

The Sony Pictures Classics release centers on a young girl in Iran during the Islamic Revolution. Co-written and co-directed by Marjane Satrapi and Vincent Paronnaud, it's based on Satrapi's autobiographical graphic novel, an international best-seller.

The English-language version of "Persepolis" features the voices of Chiara Mastroianni and her mother, Catherine Deneuve, reprising the roles they played in the original film: Marjane and Marjane's mother, Tadji. Sean Penn will provide the voice of Marjane's father, Ebi; Gena Rowlands plays Marjane's grandmother; Iggy Pop is Uncle Anouche; and Amethyste Frezignac plays young Marjane.

The English soundtrack was recorded under the direction of Satrapi and Paronnaud as the French-language version of the film was being completed.

The film will bow on 100 screens nationwide.

The French-language version was released by Sony Pictures Classics in the U.S. in December. In addition to its Academy Award nomination for best animated feature, "Persepolis" was France's official entry for the best foreign-language film Oscar and shared the Jury Prize at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival.

Reuters/Hollywood Reporter