MK2 peddles pic pair

Posted: Sat., Nov. 5, 2011, 1:25pm PTGaul's MK2 has pre-sold Marion Laine's drama romance "A Monkey on My Shoulder" and Abbas Kiarostami's "The End" to Wild Bunch Benelux.

Kiarostami's follow up to "Certified Copy," "The End" started lensing this week in Japan with local thesps Rin Takanashi and Tadashi Okuno. On top of handling international sales, MK2 is co-producing with Eurospace.

"The End" previously sold to Brazil and the countries of the former Yugoslavia.

The Japanese-language contempo drama turns on the unlikely relationship between a pretty young student, who prostitutes herself to make ends meet, and an older man who wants to protect her.

"Monkey," which started shooting in Marseilles on Oct. 24, centers on a romance between two surgeons. Thelma Films and Manchester Films are producing with MK2 and pubcaster channel France 3.

MK2's AFM slate also includes Olivier Assayas' "Something in the Air," Xavier Dolan's "Laurence Anyways" and Walter Salles' "On the Road."

Currently in post-production, "Air" was pre-bought by IFC in the U.S., NFP in Germany and Australia's Palace.

Also in post-production, "Laurence," starring Melvil Poupaud and Nathalie Baye, has been snapped up by Israel's Orlando, Taiwan's Filmware and Serbia's MCF MegaCom Film. "On the Road" has pre-sold to more than 30 territories including Germany (Concorde), Italy (Medusa), Australia (Icon), Benelux (Cineart) and Latin America (Playarte). Contact Variety Staff at news@variety.com