‘Les Misérables’ Helmer Ladj Ly to Write and Direct ‘Dumas: Black Devil,’ Film About Trailblazing French General From ‘Count of Monte Cristo’ Producers (EXCLUSIVE)
variety.comElsa Keslassy International Correspondent Ladj Ly, the French filmmaker whose bold feature debut “Les Misérables” won the jury prize at Cannes in 2019 and earned an Oscar nomination, is set to write and direct “Dumas: Black Devil.” The epic film is being produced by Dimitri Rassam‘s Chapter 2 (a Mediawan company) and Pathé, the makers of French box office hit “The Count of Monte Cristo” and two-part adventure saga “The Three Musketeers.” “Dumas: Black Devil” will also be produced by Srab Films, which has been behind all of Ly’s movies, including “Les Misérables.” Pathé will distribute the movie and handle international sales.
Although the budget has not been unveiled, it’s expected to be one of the most ambitious French projects to go into production in 2025.
The cast will include major French and international stars. Ly will adapt the lesser-known story of Thomas Alexandre Davy de la Pailleterie Dumas, who was born a Caribbean slave in 1762 and beat the odds by rising through the ranks to become a revolutionary French general.
The son of a nobleman, Marquis Alexandre Antoine Davy de la Pailleterie, and an African slave, Marie-Cessette Dumas, he became the first and highest-ranking Black leader in the French military and served under Napoleon Bonaparte.
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