Production has begun on “Merteuila,” a new French original series for Max adapted from Pierre Choderlos de Laclos’ 18th century classic novel “Dangerous Liaisons.”
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Directed by by Jessica Palud and created by Jean-Baptiste Delfaon, the show stars Anamaria Vartolomei (playing Isabelle de Merteuil), Diane Kruger (Madame de Rosemonde), Vincent Lacoste (Vicomte de Valmont) and Lucas Bravo (Comte de Gercourt). It’s produced by Clément Birnbaum and Joachim Nahum of NABI Productions (UGC Group) and Marie Guillaumond of Felicita Films (Newen Studios Group).
Filming is now underway in Normandy, France and will run until December. The ambitious show will stream on Max where the platform in available. The service launched in June in France and will soon roll out its first French series original, “The Confidante,” a psychological thriller (previously called “The Mythomaniac of the Bataclan”) based on a true story, starring Laure Calamy (“The Origins of Evil”) as a woman who pretended to be a survivor of the Bataclan attack in Paris and became one of the pillars of the victims’ association. “Merteuil” underscores Max’s drive to produce high-end originals and work with renown filmmakers. While “The Confidante” is directed by Just Philippot, the up-and-coming director of “The Swarm” and “Acid;” “Merteuil” reteams Pallud with Vartolomei, the star of her latest film “Maria,” a drama about “Last Tango in Paris” actress Maria Schneider which was presented at this year’s Cannes Film Festival.
“We are delighted to bring to life ‘Merteuil,’ a series that explores power games, manipulation and moral dilemmas through complex and fascinating characters,” said Véra Peltekian, Vice president in charge of original French productions for Max. “This ambitious project allows us to revisit the spirit of ‘Dangerous Liaisons’ through a modern prism, while retaining the intensity and sophistication that made it a timeless masterpiece.”
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As the synopsis reads: “To be the hero of your own story, you sometimes have to be the villain in others’. Marquise de Merteuil, betrayed by Valmont, embarks on a daring journey to become Paris’ leading courtesan. Freely adapted from the novel ‘Dangerous Liaisons’ by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos, a thrilling exploration of the price of emotional & sexual freedom — in a world where women had little.”
“At the heart of the masterpiece that is ‘Dangerous Liaisons’ lies another masterpiece: its heroine, the Marquise de Merteuil. It took nothing less than the combined talents of Jessica Palud and Jean-Baptiste Delafon to imagine the genesis and destiny of this revolutionary character,” added producers Nabi Productions and Felicita Films. “Through the 18th century of libertines and the dying nobility, Jean-Baptiste and Jessica offer a modern exploration of the themes of pleasure, freedom and the emancipation of women.”
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