With their film, they want to create an event! After the release of the two parts of The Three Musketeers in 2022 and 2023, producer Dimitri Rassam and directors Matthieu Delaporte and Alexandre De la Patellière took on a new challenge: readapting The Count of Monte Cristo in an XXL feature film, with a five-star cast and a crushing budget of 43 million euros.
A movie “exceptional“, according to the producer, who deserved a “exceptional device” : admitting having wanted to try a “pari” pour “organize your release“, Carole Bouquet’s son has chosen that his new creation will be released this Friday, June 28, exceptionally breaking with the traditional release of films on Wednesday.
“We were releasing the week of the Fête du Cinéma, so we wanted to get as close as possible to this festival, which we would like to use as a launching pad” he explained to the Parisian. A rare decision, since the Wednesday rule was established in the early 70s, but which is in no way illegal or unconstitutional… and which he fully assumes!
A great movie!
It must be said that the film, for which he had the idea and whose production was entrusted to the duo of directors known in particular for First name, promises a great show and should please families this weekend. A great show told this Friday in The Parisian and in Telematin by Pierre Niney, who plays the hero and had to undergo numerous physical transformations to be the best Monte Cristo possible.
“It was between four and six hours of makeup per day“, he explained in particular on the France Télévisions set, causing the surprise of the presenters. “Every day ?“, they asked, before he explained in more detail.”When I was as young Edmond Dantès, Edmond Dantès the sailor, it was less, but when I was as Monte Cristo, the avatar he creates for himself so that his enemies don’t recognize him, it was 4 hours when we were well-versed, six hours at the beginning.“.
A big job that he takes on. Wanting “do things thoroughly, body and soul things“for the public and for the teams who worked a lot, Pierre Niney notably learned to play with a different face.”I had to learn to play with these different faces. It was like playing another musical instrument: I know how to play the guitar, and suddenly, I’m given a violin or a flute.” he recounted in the pages of Parisianwho specify that he wore in particular “fake silicone muscles, a prosthesis to simulate frown lines or strengthen the cheekbones“and that he has”worked on his voice to create new ones“.
A risk always present
A work which sometimes almost turned into a tragedy: the film contains numerous scenes in the water and the happy father of Lola (7 years old) and Billie (5 years old) experienced several moments of panic, particularly when he had to film a storm in an artificial pond in Brussels. “I almost drowned because I said to myself, an artificial pond is fine. And in fact no, when it sends, it sends“, he confided this Friday in Telematin with humour.
But also, as he explained in the Parisianwhen he was thrown into the water, wrapped in a sack and a cloth.I was 15 meters deep and had to take time to extricate myself from this laundry. I really panicked once, because I asked for the ties to be tightened…“, he remembered. A great scare but a great film, which everyone will be able to enjoy!
