There is a belief that the only adaptations of the classic The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas are the 1934 films with Robert Donat, 1975 with Richard Chanberlain, 2002 with Jim Caviezel, the 1998 French miniseries with Gerard Depardieu and the anime Gankutsuou .
The book is not just about these 5 adaptations. All of the book’s plots have already been adapted for either a film or a miniseries, including the ending with Haydée. The first major adaptation made by Hollywood was Monte Cristo (1922) with John Gilbert as the Count, France in 1929 made a super production based on the book also called Monte Cristo with actor Jean Angelo being the protagonist. During the Second World War, French director Robert Vernay adapted the book in 1943 with actor Pierre-Richard Willm as Edmond. The same Robert Vernay in 1954 made a new adaptation of the book with Jean Marais. French director Claude Autant-Lara adapted the book into a film in 1961, actor Louis Jordan played Edmond Dantes, who 14 years later played Villefort in the adaptation with Richard Chanberlain.
In 1964. With the BBC television miniseries and with Alan Badel as Edmond, the first adaptation of the book for a television miniseries. This is the only adaptation that shows Eugenie running away with her teacher and friend. There is the 1966 Italian miniseries with Andrea Giordana that is also very close to the book. The 1979 French miniseries with Jacques Weber is perhaps the most complete adaptation of the book. And we have the 1988 Soviet adaptation, The Prisoner of Château d’If with Viktor Avilov.
These adaptations are perhaps little known due to the language barrier and the adaptation with Alan Badel, due to its low budget, does not arouse as much interest. Not everyone is willing to watch films and series with subtitles and that’s why they end up not being that famous.
But it is not true to say that the book never had a faithful adaptation, including the death of Edoaurd (it is present in the Italian miniseries of 1966 and French of 1979) and the count leaving for the East with Haydée were already present in adaptations of the story .
In addition to the French film adaptation with Pierre Niney, there will be an Italian-French, English-language miniseries with Sam Claflin in 2024. This version in miniseries format will allow the book to be adapted more completely. This adaptation promises to be faithful to the original story and will present the book in a much more complete and faithful way for the new generation.
I said in the text that there are already miniseries based on the book, which are the 1964 miniseries with Alan Badel, which, being low budget, does not arouse much interest and is little known, there is the 1966 Italian miniseries which has no subtitles available and the French miniseries. from 1979 and 1998 that there are subtitles available.
In 2024 we will have an English-language television miniseries directed by Bille August and starring Sam Claflin. There will be 8 episodes, this is a Franch-Italian production.
In 2023, filming took place at the Palais-Royal in Paris. Other filming locations include Turin, Milan, and Malta.
The other adaptations, whether because of the low budget or because many people don’t like films and series with subtitles (I don’t care if they have subtitles), these other adaptations are little known, even though they are the most complete.
This miniseries with Sam Clalfin, according to its producer and director, promises to be faithful to the book. This adaptation must present the book’s story to the new generation in a consistent way.