Matthieu Delaporte and Alexandre de La Patellière, strong on the success of Comte de Monte Cristowill adapt another literary classic… over 7 films!
With 9.3 million entries, Le Comte de Monte Cristo can boast of being the second biggest success of the year at the French box office, just behind the 10.8 million admissions ofA little something extra. In 2024, French cinema stood up to American blockbusters (the top 5 also contains Love phew by Gilles Lellouche), and there is no doubt that Pathé found in Le Comte de Monte Cristo the popular mega-success that he hoped to have with his diptych of Three musketeers.
Obviously, we wondered which project directors Matthieu Delaporte and Alexandre de La Patellière would turn to next. In continuation of Comte de Monte Cristoand Pathé’s wish to revisit classics of French culture, the filmmakers will embark on a new, even crazier literary adaptation.
The Cursed Kings or the Kings of the World?
It is the producer of Comte de Monte CristoDimitri Rassam, who revealed the information in Le Figaro. With Delaporte and de La Patellière, they are actively working on a cinematographic version of Cursed Kingsthe saga written by Maurice Druon between 1955 and 1977. Through seven novels, we follow the history of France in the 14th century, starting from the legend according to which the grand master of the Temple Jacques de Molay would have placed a curse on Philippe Le Bel, after being condemned to the stake.
This mixture of history and fiction, which culminates with the start of the Hundred Years’ War, has made this great dynastic tale one of the great literary sagas of the 20th century. With his plots, his twists and turns and his attempts to access the throne, The Cursed Kings was even an inspiration for George RR Martin and his Games of Thrones.
A priori, Matthieu Delaporte and Alexandre de La Patellière see things big, since their version of The Cursed Kings could be adapted into seven films, one per novel. The ambition seems excessive, and is especially intriguing in terms of its financing. Always in Le Figaro, Dimitri Rassam announced the start of construction of Cursed Kings through the launch of Yaplukaa European fund which will finance films from 20 to 80 million euros. The producer explained his approach:
“My conviction is that there is a treasure trove of stories in European heritage, and that we can tell them from Europe. »
It is interesting to note that from The Three Musketeers et Le Comte de Monte CristoRassam and Pathé have reached an agreement with Logical Pictures and its private investment fund. Behind this desire to Americanize French production, there is also the desire to finance with significant costs works whose international potential seems strong.
During his promotion, the team Comte de Monte Cristo has continued to connect Alexandre Dumas’ novel to its impact on contemporary pop culture, particularly on the side of Batman. We have no doubt that The Cursed Kings will do the same, recalling its assumed connection to Game of Thrones to sell.
For now, the shooting of the first film would be planned for 2026. No casting members have been announced at this time. It just remains to be seen for Dimitri Rassam if this ambitious adaptation will cancel the possibility of a third part of the Three musketeersadapted from the book Twenty years laterand which the producer envisaged for 2027.
