The Count of Monte Cristo (2024 TV series)
| The Count of Monte Cristo | |
|---|---|
.jpg) | |
| Based on | The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas |
| Directed by | Bille August |
| Starring | Sam Claflin Jeremy Irons Ana Girardot Mikkel Boe Følsgaard Michele Riondino Nicolas Maupas Lino Guanciale Gabriella Pession Blake Ritson |
| Country of origin | France Italy |
| Original language | English |
| No. of series | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 8 |
| Production | |
| Producer | Carlo Degli Esposti |
| Production companies | |
| Original release | |
| Network | France Télévisions (France) RAI (Italy) |
| Release | 15 December 2024 (Switzerland) 18 December 2024 (Sweden) 13 January 2025 (Italy) |
The Count of Monte Cristo is a 2024 English-language miniseries directed by Bille August[1][2][3] and starring Sam Claflin, based on Alexandre Dumas's book of the same name.
Plot
Unjustly accused of treason, young French sailor Edmond Dantès is imprisoned without trial in the Château d'If, a forbidding island fortress off the coast of Marseille. During years of imprisonment, a fellow prisoner, a scholarly abbot, educates Edmond in multiple subjects. Before dying, the abbot reveals where a vast treasure is hidden on a deserted island. Edmond escapes and, finding the treasure, assumes the identity of the Count of Monte Cristo. He uses his wealth to enact revenge against his betrayers.
Cast
- Sam Claflin as Edmond Dantès
- Jeremy Irons as Abbé Faria
- Ana Girardot as Mercédès
- Harry Taurasi as Fernand Mondego, Count de Morcerf
- Mikkel Boe Følsgaard as Gérard de Villefort
- Blake Ritson as Baron Danglars
- Roger Sloman as Louis Dantès
- Karla-Simone Spence as Haydée
- Michele Riondino as Jacopo
- Lino Guanciale as Luigi Vampa
- Nicolas Maupas as Albert de Morcerf
- Gabriella Pession as Madame Hermine Danglars
- Robin Greer as Maximilien Morrel
- Amaryllis August as Valentine de Villefort
- Bastien Fontaine-Oberto as Baron Franz d'Épinay
- Poppy Corby-Tuech as Héloïse de Villefort
- Louise Gold as Marquises de Saint-Méran
- John Ioannou as Noirtier de Villefort
- Jason Barnett as Gaspard Caderousse
- Nicholas Farrell as Pierre Morrel
- Greg Hughes as Monsieur de Boville
- Matthew Wilson as Lucien Debray
- Leo Harris as Édouard de Villefort
- Méghane De Croock as Eugénie Danglars
- Kate Woodman as Louise d'Armilly
- Nell Baker as Julie Morel
- Sandie von Brockdorff as Renée de Villefort (née de Saint-Méran)
- Armen Georgian as Doctor d'Avigny
- Tip Cullen as General Flavien de Quesnel, Baron d'Épinay
- Simone Zambelli as Ettore
- Lynette Creane as Marie
- Ramona Von Pusch as Isabelle
- Reece Putinas as The Inspector
- Tom van der Loop as a blacksmith
Production
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:[1]
The Count of Monte Cristo was my reading book and I always dreamed of adapting it into a movie or series
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.[1][3]
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.[1] 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.[1][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:
We have done some other great series, such as Zorro as part of our partnership with Entourage, but The Count of Monte Cristo is the first one that is 100 percent Mediawan's and meets all requirements.
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.[1]
Bille August states that the relationships and complexity of human beings drew his attention to this project being timeless themes.[1]
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
Filming began between August and December 2023 and took place at the Palais-Royal in Paris.[1] Other filming locations include Turin, Milan and Malta.[2] 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.
Casting
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.[1][2]
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.[3][4]
Broadcast
The series premiered at the 19th Rome Film Festival on 19 October 2024. The show premiered in Switzerland on 15 December 2024 on RTS 1, airing its first two episodes consecutively. In Sweden, the series was released online on SVT Play on 18 December 2024. The series was broadcast by Rai 1 in Italy on 13 January 2025, and will be broadcast on France Televisions in France in 2025.
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "Bille August to Direct Mediawan's Ambitious Series The Count of Monte Cristo Starring Sam Claflin, Produced by Palomar".
- ^ a b c "Tournage de la série Le Comte de Monte-Cristo, réalisée par bille August (co-production européenne)".
- ^ a b c "Sam Claflin to Star in New The Count of Monte Cristo Adaptation".
- ^ a b "Two-time Palme d'Or winner Bille August is filming The Count of Monte Cristo".
- ^ "France Télévisions: tournage de la série-évènement "Le Comte de Monte-Cristo" produite par l'Alliance européenne".