‘Monte Cristo’: Pathe Boss Ardavan Safaee Shares Strategy Behind French Box Office Reign, and Company’s English-Language Plans (EXCLUSIVE)
variety.comElsa Keslassy International Correspondent French studio Pathé has seen its marketing and programming strategy pay off with “The Count of Monte Cristo,” an epic adventure film adapted from Alexandre Dumas’ classic which struck box office gold in France during a competitive summer marked by the Olympics.
Helmed by Matthieu Delaporte and Alexandre de la Patellière (“The Three Musketeers”), the sweeping three-hour movie has become a proper French blockbuster, selling more than 8 million tickets locally (as of Sept.
9) and grossing over $75 million internationally with most major markets yet to open. These include the U.S where Samuel Goldwyn Films will release “The Count of Monte Cristo” on Jan.
25 and is aiming to position it in the awards season. The movie, produced by Dimitri Rassam’s Chapter 2 with a budget of €43 million, world premiered at the Cannes Film Festival where it earned unanimous praise with Variety’s Peter Debruge calling it a “genuine triumph” and “a stunning, emotionally satisfying adventure tale.” Although it’s based on a classic of French literature, “The Count of Monte Cristo” wasn’t obvious box office hit in a country where local comedies tend to perform better than any other genre and where French costume movies seldom click with young moviegoers.
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