| Based On: | The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas |
| Director: | Bille August |
| Starring: | Sam Claflin Jeremy Irons Ana Girardot Mikkel Boe Følsgaard Michele Riondino Nicolas Maupas Lino Guanciale Gabriella Pession |
| Country: | France Italy |
| Language: | English |
| Num Series: | 1 |
| Num Episodes: | 8 |
| Producer: | Carlo Degli Esposti |
| Network: | France Télévisions (France) RAI (Italy) |
The Count of Monte Cristo is a 2024 English-language television miniseries directed by Bille August[1] [2] [3] and starring Sam Claflin. It is an adaptation of the Alexandre Dumas novel of the same name.
Unjustly accused of treason, young sailor Edmond Dantès is imprisoned without trial in the Château d'If, a gloomy island fortress off the coast of Marseille. After many years of imprisonment, he finally manages to escape and, assuming the identity of the Count of Monte Cristo, enacts his revenge against those who deprived him of his freedom.
It is produced by Mediawan with Palomar in Italy and DEMD Productions in France, and in association with Entourage Ventures. Producer Carlo Degli Esposti, co-founder of Italian production company Palomar, says:
He also states that adaptations of the classics have often been criticized for being outdated, but he is convinced that the quality of the script, August's creative vision, and Sam Claflin's performance in the main role will give the series a modern twist while remaining faithful to the legacy of Alexandre Dumas' work.
DEMD's Sébastien Pavard points out that producing the series in English allowed the producers to bring together talent from Italy, France, Denmark, and England. He presents the series as a story of love and betrayal and the revenge of the oppressed against the powerful. In addition, the series promises to put more emphasis on the psychological depth, emotions and motivations of the characters, presenting stronger female characters, including the young Haydee, who is not a frightened slave as in the book, but rather a courageous and autonomous woman.[4]
According to Élisabeth d'Arvieu, head of Mediawan Pictures, the project was initiated by Palomar, the Italian production company of the Mediawan group, and then turned to its French subsidiary DEMD Productions to make a French-Italian co-production. The series fits into the company's DNA because it is based on an emblematic and world-renowned European subject and brings together a prestigious cast. It also states:
Speaking of Bille August's involvement, Élisabeth d'Arvieu says that he gave the series a very cinematic appeal. Beyond the budget, the fact that he recruited a director who has won both the Palme d'Or and the Oscar speaks volumes about his ambition to make productions of the highest caliber.
Bille August states that the relationships and complexity of human beings drew his attention to this project being timeless themes.
Manuel Alduy, director of cinema and young adult and international drama at France Télévisions, stresses that the series has all the ingredients of a great international series that will delight French audiences thanks to an ambitious production by Palomar and DEMD, a formidable cast and a great director like August at the helm. He also praises the pride of collaboration with RAI, in this new co-production, marking the twelfth international series co-produced by the European Alliance.[5]
Filming began between August and December 2023 and took place at the Palais-Royal in Paris. Other filming locations include Turin, Milan and Malta. Jeremy Irons told Variety that the castle used in the production in Malta is the same age as the one mentioned in Dumas' original text.
In early August 2023, Digital Spy and Movieplayer.it sites revealed that Sam Claflin would play the role of Edmond Dantès, joined by Ana Girardot and Nicolas Maupas.
On 11 October 2023, U.S. magazine Variety, picked up by the website Collider, revealed that the cast also included Mikkel Boe Følsgaard, Blake Ritson, Karla-Simone Spence, Michele Riondino, Lino Guanciale and Gabriella Pession.
The series premiered at the 19th Rome Film Festival on 19 October 2024, and is expected to air on 11 December 2024 on RAI and France Televisions broadcasters.