Press Releases

NEW YORK (February 2, 2026) – Sony Pictures Classics announced today that they will release A MAGNIFICENT LIFE in select theaters nationwide on March 27, 2026. Written and directed by four-time Academy Award^® nominee and BAFTA winner Sylvain Chomet (THE TRIPLETS OF BELLEVILLE, THE ILLUSIONIST), the animated English language feature stars International Emmy Award^® nominee Laurent Lafitte and César Award^® winner Géraldine Pailhas. The film had its world premiere at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival in the “Special Screenings” section and has since been nominated for “Best Feature (Independent)” at the 2026 Annie Awards. 

In 1955, 60-year-old Marcel Pagnol is a well-known and acclaimed playwright and filmmaker. When the editor-in-chief of ELLE magazine commissions a weekly column about Pagnol's childhood, he sees this as a great opportunity to go back to his artistic roots: writing. Realizing his memory is failing him and deeply affected by the disappointing results of his last two plays, Pagnol starts doubting his ability to pursue his work. That is until Little Marcel - the young boy he used to be - appears to him as if by magic. Together, they will explore Marcel Pagnol's incredible life and bring back to life his most cherished encounters and memories... 

A MAGNIFICENT LIFE reunites Chomet with Sony Pictures Classics, who previously distributed Chomet’s Oscar^®-nominated films THE ILLUSIONIST and THE TRIPLETS OF BELLEVILLE. 

The film is produced by the award-winning producer of THE LITTLE PRINCE and LITTLE NICOLAS – HAPPY AS CAN BE, Aton Soumache; Mediawan, one of Europe’s leading independent studios; French producers Ashargin Poiré and Valérie Puech for What the Prod; and is co-produced by Lilian Eche’s Bidibul Productions, Align, headed by Adrian Politowski, and in collaboration with Nicolas Pagnol from Pagnol’s Estate. 

ABOUT SONY PICTURES CLASSICS
Michael Barker and Tom Bernard serve as co-presidents of Sony Pictures Classics—an autonomous division of Sony Pictures Entertainment they founded with Marcie Bloom in January 1992—which distributes, produces, and acquires independent films from around the world.  Barker and Bernard have released prestigious films that have won 42 Academy Awards^® (38 of those at Sony Pictures Classics) and have garnered 192 Academy Award^® nominations (166 at Sony Pictures Classics), including two nominations this year for BLUE MOON for Best Actor (Ethan Hawke) and Best Original Screenplay, as well as Best Picture nominations for I’M STILL HERE, THE FATHER, CALL ME BY YOUR NAME, WHIPLASH, AMOUR, MIDNIGHT IN PARIS, AN EDUCATION, CAPOTE, HOWARDS END, AND CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON.