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One of the most acclaimed films to premiere out of competition at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival was the latest three-hour adaptation of Alexandre Dumas’ 1,000-page-plus adventure classic “The Count of Monte Cristo.” Here, French filmmakers Matthieu Delaporte and Alexandre de La Patellière condense the story of Edmund Dantes, a young man falsely imprisoned just before his wedding who sets out for revenge after escaping, into a lean tale led by French actor Pierre Niney. IndieWire shares the exclusive trailer for the film below before Samuel Goldwyn Films releases it in select U.S. theaters on December 20.
Delaporte and de La Patellière are well-equipped to take on this story, as they previously scripted a two-part “The Three Musketeers” adaptation that Samuel Goldwyn also released between last year and this one. The rest of the cast includes Bastien Bouillon as Fernand de Morcerf, Anaïs Demoustier as Mercédès Herrera, and Anamaria Vartolomei as Haydée. Niney is best known for his performances as Yves Saint Laurent in the eponymous biopic from 2014 and François Ozon’s black-and-white arthouse favorite “Frantz” from 2016.
More details about “The Count of Monte Cristo” from the distributor: “The film tells the story of a young man, Edmond Dantes (Pierre Niney), who becomes the target of a sinister plot and is arrested on his wedding day for a crime he did not commit. After 14 years in the island prison of Château d’If, he manages a daring escape. Now rich beyond his dreams, he assumes the identity of the Count of Monte-Cristo and exacts his revenge on the three men who betrayed him.”
IndieWire’s sister site Variety gave the film a rave out of Cannes, with Peter Debruge writing, “Whereas ‘Megalopolis‘ and ‘Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga‘ swallowed up much of the oxygen at Cannes, ‘Count’ premiered with far less fanfare but felt like a genuine triumph: a stunning, emotionally satisfying adventure tale, built on rock-solid source material. Compared to earlier adaptations (including an overlong miniseries with Gérard Depardieu), this latest version is briskly paced and rousingly acted by an all-around stellar ensemble, starting with Pierre Niney in the title role.”
Watch the trailer exclusive below.
“The Count of Monte Cristo” opens from Samuel Goldwyn Films in select U.S. theaters on Friday, December 20.
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