The Count of Monte Cristo with Pierre Niney will be released in theaters in the United States, and plans to take advantage of the French craze to go all the way to the Oscars.
The Count of Monte Cristo may have attracted more than 8.2 million people in French cinemas, making producer Dimitri Rassam and Pathé proud, it’s not enough. The life of a French film in budget of 42 million euros is not limited to France and its career elsewhere in the world is necessarily crucial – not to mention the rest of the exploitation after the cinema.
This is all the more interesting here because The Count of Monte Cristo already has a small springboard to the United States. France has pre-selected him for represent the country as best foreign film for the 2025 Oscarswith Emilia Perez directed by Jacques Audiard, Mercy by Alain Guiraudie and All We Imagine as Light directed by Payal Kapadia (update: it’s Emilia Perez which was chosen this Wednesday, September 18). The new adaptation of Alexandre Dumas thus appeared on Hollywood radars.
And everyone plans to take advantage of it since The Count of Monte Cristo just picked up a US release date, right in time for Oscar season.
THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO IN HOLLYWOOD
American distributor Samuel Goldwyn Films, which had purchased The Count of Monte Cristo in May 2024 before its out-of-competition presentation at Cannes, had been ready for months. And Variety reveals that the film written and directed by Alexandre de La Patellière and Matthieu Delaporte will be released in US theaters on December 20.
It is a strategic date, in the middle of Oscar seasonwith the next ceremony taking place on March 3, 2025. The American career will kick off at the Hamptons International Film Festival, before other events such as the American French Film Festival in Los Angeles (where Emilia Perez will also be presented).
THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO AT THE OSCARS
Variety adds that Samuel Goldwyn Films has to campaign “in all categories, including best film” For The Count of Monte Cristo.
This is what we imagine the distributor has in mind the phenomenal success ofAnatomy of a fall last year. When France had preferred him The Passion of Dodin Bouffant to represent the country as best foreign film, the Hollywood career of Justine Triet’s film seemed over. That was without counting on the distributor Neon, which had launched a vast campaign so thatAnatomy of a fall be considered in all categories – nothing prevents a non-English film from being nominated everywhere, and Neon had already proven it with Parasite.
The Count of Monte Cristo is not made of the same wood asAnatomy of a fallwhich had started with a small Palme d’Or and ended with an Oscar for best screenplay. But the success of the film in France, and the popularity of Dumas’ book, must make Samuel Goldwyn Films dream.
THE 3 MUSKETEERS ARE DEFINITELY BETTER?
Samuel Goldwyn Films is not new to Alexandre Dumas. The American company had already acquired The Three Musketeers: D’Artagnan and its sequel Milady. The first one was finally released in December 2023 in the United States… simultaneously in theaters and on VOD. No word since on its American success.
Early 2024, the two-part blockbuster The Three Musketeers had already been sold in nearly 60 territories, a record for a French film in 2023 according to Unifrance (about twenty other territories were added later).
In total, D’Artagnan collected 9.1 million euros outside France. 1/3 of international entries came from Latin America (notably Mexico, Brazil and Colombia). That said, Western Europe has remained the most important market for French films for almost 10 yearswith twice the revenue as in the United States.
Sold so far in around forty territories according to Unifrance, The Count of Monte Cristo had a much more solid French career than the MusketeersIt was presented with great fanfare at Cannes, and attracted more than 8 million spectators in theaters, well more than D’Artagnan (3.3 million) and Milady (2.5 million).
Moreover, Pierre Niney has been eyeing Hollywood for several years. Even if he doesn’t make it a priority, he has an American agency that represents him. The role of Edmond Dantès could serve as a springboard, and allow him to access opportunities worthy of the name – he has already said that he has no desire to play the little Frenchman in American films.
The Count of Monte Cristo has already collected over $75 million worldwideaccording to Variety. It remains to be seen whether this almost 3-hour epic will be able to attract the American public. Or rather: if Samuel Goldwyn Films can turn it into a small phenomenon.
