After Gabin, Ventura, Belmondo … Vincent Lindon will be the next Jean Valjean in the cinema

Fifteen adaptations of Misérables has been born from the XIX^e century. Next July, Victor Hugo’s timeless work will once again be put in pictures in Paris and Bordeaux for a shooting of a 17 -week duration. Behind the camera, Fred Cavayé (For her; Radin ! ; The game) Trust of the channel studios. The feature film aims to tell the full novel, a first since the musical film by Tom Hooper, in 2012, carried by the Hollywood stars Hugh Jackman, Russel Crowe and Anne Hathaway.

In line with recent adaptations of Comte de Monte Cristo , with Pierre Niney, and Three musketeers , With François Civil, the Canal studios hope to reach a large audience by telling the river story of what is, to this day, the fourth longer French novel.

A dream role for Vincent Lindon

To do this, Fred Cavayé has brought together an exceptional cast made up of popular and multi-commissioned actors. The press release does not specify the distribution of roles. However, one can imagine that Tahar Rahim (twice caesarized for his performance in A prophet by Jacques Audiard) would be perfect for putting on the frock coat of Inspector Javert. The character of the sinister Mrs. Thénardier could fall to Camille Cottin and that of Fantine, to Noémie Merlant, César 2023 of the best actress in a second role for L’innocent. The five -time nominated at César, Benjamin Lavernhe, is also a project, just like Vassili Schneider, recently winner of the Molière male 2024. Megan Northam, Sayyid El Alami and Marie Colomb buckle the list. During her visit to Cannesières, the actress of the series Worship premium confirmed to Figaro Playing the role of Eponine, one of the Thénardier’s daughters, secretly in love with Marius, who has eyes only for Cosette.

A competing project focused on the figure of Jean Valjean

The legendary role of Jean Valjean will be provided by Vincent Lindon, interpretation prize in Cannes in 2015, Lumière et César for best actor in 2016 for Market law. Since its beginnings in 1984 in Our history De Bertrand Blier, with Alain Delon and Nathalie Baye, the man with five nominations with César for best actor is looking for a popular and prestigious first role. Certainly, it shines in The student by Claude Pinoteau in 1988 alongside Sophie Marceau, in Titanium by Julia Ducournau in 2021 or in The second act From Quentin Dupieux (2024), but, with Jean Valjean, he touched a cult character of literature, theater, small and large screen. An institution.

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The central character of Misérables is a French monument, in the same way as Cyrano de Bergerac, Rocambole, Quasimodo or Commissioner Maigret. Jean Valjean has already appeared more than a dozen times on the big screen. The announcement of Fred Carayé’s project occurs a few months after that of Eric Besnard’s feature film entitled Jean Valjean.

Carried by Grégory Gadebois, this “story of the origins”, whose filming took place from mid-January to the end of February, will be released in the dining room in 2026 and will be dedicated to the first 100 pages of the novel. Either the “Tilting from shadow to character’s light”. «1815. Jean Valjean left the prison after nineteen years of forced labor. One evening, after being rejected many times, he finds refuge with a priest. Monsignor Bienvenu (Bernard Campan) lives there with his sister (Isabelle Carré) and a only servant (Alexandra Lamy). Surprised by the warmth of the reception, Jean Valjean is shaken in his criminal convictions“Promises the synopsis.

The sequel to Gabin and Belmondo

From the origin of the 7th art, the figure of Jean Valjean attracted the greatest. The first to embody it is the American actor Maurice Costello in the short film The miserable by James Stuart Blackton in 1909. A long list follows: Henry Krauss in the silent film by Albert Capellani in 1913, William Farnum in that of Frank Lloyd in 1917, Gabriel Gabrio in the version of Henri Fescourt in 1925, Harry Baur in the three films of Raymond Bernard between 1933 and 1934 In the feature film of the American Richard Boleslawski, the Italian Riccardo Ferra in 1948 in The escape from the prisonMichael Rennie behind the camera of Lewis Milestone in 1952, Richard Jordan in the British adaptation of John Gay in 1978, Lino Ventura in 1982 for Robert Hossein, Liam Neeson for the British-German-American edition signed Bille August in 1998, or Hugh Jackman in the musical of Tom Hooper in 2012.

The actors who will have marked the spirits the most will remain the wonderful Jean-Paul Belmondo and Jean Gabin. The first, César 1989 for best actor for Itinerary of a spoiled child, played it for Claude Lelouch in 1995. The film, entitled The miserablethen won the Golden Globe for the best foreign feature film in 1996.

Jean Gabin is perhaps the actor that is most attached to Jean Valjean. About forty years before Belmondo, the triple winner of the victories of French cinema was distinguished on the big screen alongside Bernard Blier, Bourvil, or Danièle Delorme in a staging by Jean-Paul Le Chanois (1958). The director had considered this film as “A completion of [sa] career “. For Vincent Lindon, the succession promises to be ambitious. At 65, the actor had to dream of such a prestigious role. Here it is served.

Valjean’s redemption course

On the synopsis side, Fred Cavayé’s film promises to be very faithful to the novel: « Jean Valjean, a former escaped convict of the prison where he spent 16 years for having stolen bread, is now devoted to doing good around him. There is a new identity, that of a notable respected, and helps Fantine, a dying worker, promising to save her daughter, the little Cosette, the claws of the Thénardier, the innkeepers who exploit and mistreat her. While Valjean takes care of the child and pupils as his own daughter, his past ends up catching him in the person of Inspector Javert who has continued to chase him during all these years. Despite the social hustle and bustle that shakes France, the destinies of Valjean, Cosette, her lover Marius and Javert intertwine in a bubbling and revolutionary Paris. Through struggles, sacrifices and a deep desire for justice, Valjean strives to complete his redemption and offer Cosette a future of love and freedom. »»

Trailer for Misérables (2012)