Montreal: The industry as a whole is counting on the success of Laura Cadieux….la suite, the Denise Filiatrault comedy sequel being launched on 60 or more Quebec screens Dec. 3. The original, C’t’a ton tour, Laura Cadieux, adapted from the Michel Tremblay novel, was released in October ’98 and earned $2.5 million or more at the box office.

Distributor Alliance Atlantis Vivafilm expects a real share of holiday box office with its investment of $360,000 in prints and p&a for the sequel.

The story opens as the girls in the office offer Laura a boat cruise on the St. Lawrence for her birthday. Ginette Reno plays Laura. Also starring are Pierrette Robitaille, Pauline Lapointe, Denise Dubois, Daniele Lorain, Dominique Michel (as the mother-in-law), Adele Reinhardt, Mireille Thibault and Sonia Vachon.

The $3.6-million film was scripted by Filiatrault and produced by Denise Robert of Cinemaginaire. Francois Dompierre composed the original music. Raymond Dupuis is the film’s production designer and Daniel Jobin and Georges Dufaux shared dop duties.

Cinemaginaire had its busiest year ever in ’99, shooting Denys Arcand’s 15 Moments, a dark contemporary satire budgeted at $12 million and coproduced with Serendipity Point Films of Toronto and Cine b of Paris; and the $25-million historical drama La Veuve de St. Pierre, directed by Patrice Leconte (La Fille sur la pont) and starring Juliette Binoche and Daniel Auteuil.