On the heels of their landmark carriage deal signed six months ago, Netflix and TF1, France’s biggest commercial network are teaming up on “The Countess of Monte Cristo,” a new period series starring Audrey Fleurot (“HPI”).
Fleurot, who is best known for her part in the TF1 detective series “HPI” (which has been remade by ABC); as well as a pair of period series jointly commissioned by Netflix and TF1, “The Bonfire of Destiny” and “Les combattantes.”
The eight-part series, which starts filming today in Marta and the Czech Republic, looks to build on the resurgence in popularity for Alexandre Dumas’ literary masterpiece “The Count of Monte Cristo” which was adapted into a bigscreen epic film by Alexandre de La Patelliere and Matthieu Delaporte. The latter smashed the French box office in 2024, selling over nine million admissions.
Djibril Glissant, who directed Fleurot in “HPI,” and Leonardo D’Antoni (“Narcos”) will helm “The Countess of Monte Cristo,” based on scripts by Gaïa Guasti, Glissant, Clément Peny and Florian Spitzer.
Besides Fleurot, the cast includes some popular French actors, including Zabou Breitman, Kad Merad, Dennis Lavant and Eric Elmosnino.
Pitched as a daring adaptation of Dumas’ classic novel, the series is set in 1815 in Marseille where Mercédès Herrera is willing to do anything for the man she loves, Edmond Dantès, a sailor with a promising future who’s been framed for a murder he didn’t commit. Their happiness is cruelly shattered by a ruthless betrayal which causes Edmond to be imprisoned at the Château d’If, with no hope of return. Devastated but determined, Mercedes embarks on a frantic journey to save him, but Edmond is killed during their escape attempt. “Captured and imprisoned, Herrera sets off to take her revenge on those who destroyed her life, including Fernand, her own cousin, who is secretly in love with her; Danglars, an ambitious manipulator; and above all Héloïse de Villefort, the implacable wife of the city’s prosecutor,” reads the synopsis.
“The Countess of Monte Cristo” is produced by Anthony Lancret, Pierre Laugier and Lola Manai at Itineraire Productions, and Fleurot and Glissant at Ahia Blanca, in association with Netfix and in co-production with TF1.
Dumas’ novel has also been turned into a series, “The Count of Monte Cristo,” directed by the Palme d’Or-winning director Billie August, starring Sam Claflin (“Peaky Blinders”) and produced by Mediawan.
TF1 and Netflix inked a carriage deal in June which will see the streamer carry TF1’s five free-to-air channels and on-demand content starting in the summer of 2026. The two companies have collaborated on a number of shows, most recently on “Tout pour la lumiere,” a series set at a dance academy which marks Netflix’s first daily soap.
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- Source of information and images “variety ““
