‘The Count of Monte-Cristo’ Wraps Epic Five-Month Shoot, Offers First Look at Pierre Niney as the Legendary Antihero

The long-awaited feature adaptation of The Count of Monte-Cristo—the next large-scale literary epic from the team behind the blockbuster two-part The Three Musketeers—has officially wrapped its ambitious five-month shoot, bringing new momentum to one of cinema’s most closely watched period productions. Producers Dimitri Rassam of Chapter 2, now part of the Mediawan group, and Pathé announced the completion of principal photography this week, unveiling the film’s first still featuring French star Pierre Niney in the titular role. The image offers an early glimpse of a darker, more haunted Monte-Cristo, hinting at a sweeping revenge saga set to dominate the international market when it goes up for sale.

Directed by the acclaimed duo Matthieu Delaporte and Alexandre de La Patellière, who previously adapted and directed The Three Musketeers films to critical and commercial success, The Count of Monte-Cristo marks the next chapter in their ongoing effort to bring Alexandre Dumas’ most iconic works to the screen with renewed cinematic grandeur. Their latest endeavor takes on one of Dumas’ most beloved—and complex—novels, following the odyssey of Edmond Dantès, a young Marseille sailor whose life is shattered when he is falsely accused of treason. Betrayed by those he trusted most and imprisoned without trial in the forbidding Château d’If, Dantès endures years of brutal confinement before engineering a daring escape. Reborn under a new identity as the mysterious and impossibly wealthy Count of Monte Cristo, he sets out to orchestrate an intricate revenge against the men who destroyed him.

The novel, first published in 1844, remains one of the most widely read works in world literature, celebrated for its themes of betrayal, justice, destiny, and moral ambiguity. Adapting such an expansive and psychologically rich story has long been considered a challenge for filmmakers, but Rassam and his team are increasingly known for taking on exactly that type of prestige project—and delivering it with both commercial appeal and artistic fidelity.

Pierre Niney, fresh off acclaimed performances in Frantz, Black Box, and Yves Saint Laurent, steps into the role of Edmond Dantès with what insiders describe as “intensity, vulnerability, and a sharp, modern edge.” The newly revealed still reinforces that sentiment: clad in somber period attire, Niney appears transformed, embodying the hardened persona of a man reshaped by suffering and resolve. Industry watchers have already begun speculating that the role could become one of the defining performances of his career.

Production on the film spanned multiple European locations, with extensive shooting in France, Italy, and Malta to recreate the sweeping geography of Dumas’ story—from the bustling port of Marseille to the desolate isolation of Château d’If and the glittering aristocratic salons of Paris. The producers have emphasized their commitment to historical authenticity and atmospheric world-building, an approach that contributed to the success of The Three Musketeers and is expected to be even more ambitious here.

Rassam noted that the adaptation aims to honor the novel’s vast emotional and narrative scope while making the story feel newly urgent for contemporary audiences. “The Count of Monte-Cristo is not only a tale of revenge,” he said in a statement, “but also one of transformation, hope, and moral reckoning. Our goal is to do justice to the complexity of Edmond Dantès and the world Dumas created, while immersing viewers in a cinematic experience as rich and thrilling as the novel itself.”

Delaporte and de La Patellière, who both wrote and directed the film, bring their signature blend of fidelity to source material and dynamic modern pacing. Having already demonstrated their ability to navigate ensemble storytelling and grand period spectacle, they now face the challenge of portraying Dantès’ epic personal journey—one that spans decades, shifts identity multiple times, and threads together mystery, romance, politics, and suspense.

The film arrives at a moment of renewed appetite for prestige European epics, with studios and streamers increasingly investing in literary adaptations capable of drawing both domestic and international audiences. The Three Musketeers franchise, also produced by Rassam and Pathé, became one of France’s most successful box-office performers of the past decade and attracted wide international distribution. Industry analysts expect The Count of Monte-Cristo to follow a similar trajectory, particularly given the global recognition of the novel and the rising profile of its star.

With shooting completed and post-production already underway, anticipation is building for the film’s festival circuit prospects. Though no release date has yet been announced, the producers are positioning the film as one of 2025’s major prestige releases, likely to debut at a major European festival before rolling out globally.

For now, the first still has accomplished what Rassam and Pathé intended: to ignite curiosity. And if Pierre Niney’s chilling, commanding first look is any indication, this Count of Monte-Cristo may prove to be the boldest and most emotionally charged cinematic interpretation in decades.