Helmed by Gaël Morel and penned by Georges-Marc Benamou and Gilles Taurand, the new Wild Bunch series follows the great aspirations of an ambitious and calculating young man “The Red and the Black,” an adaptation of Stendhal’s 1830 novel, follows the young Julien Sorel (Victor Belmondo) as he pursues greatness, rising socially beyond his modest upbringing while entangled in a web of passion, power and political intrigue. Following screenings at Canneseries and the Italian Global Series Festival, “The Red and the Black,” produced by Siècle Productions for France Télévisions, makes its international market debut at the Unifrance Rendez-Vous in Le Havre, where it’s being sold by Wild Bunch. The four-part series is directed by Gaël Morel, who reunites with Belmondo following their acclaimed 2024 relationship drama “To Live, to Die, to Live Again,” and written by Georges-Marc Benamou and Gilles Taurand, whose previous collaborations include “The Last Mitterrand” and more recently “The Plague.” The creators found inspiration in the enduring qualities of Stendhal’s work.
It is literature of intense passions: free in its tone, its depiction of love, and its drama, yet often avoiding romantic sentimentality. In Stendhal’s case, Julien Sorel, the protagonist, is precisely an anti-romantic hero: an ambitious man whose aspirations are thwarted. That is what makes him both compelling and tragic.” The story of an ambitious and calculating young man of modest origins trying to establish himself in circles of power dominated by ruthless and manipulative actors and confronted by great moral hypocrisy could very well be a tale of the 21st century.
The renowned work’s timeless themes have led to several big and small-screen adaptations over the decades, including Claude Autant-Lara’s 1954 version starring Gérard Philipe and the 1993 BBC series featuring Ewan McGregor in one of his earliest roles. All of this, the resurgence of moral conservatism, stalled social mobility, and women’s emancipation, still resonates today in France, Europe and America.” Morel stresses that the series “speaks more directly to contemporary issues: class defection, social determinism, and male–female relationships, which are especially modern in this work. I think that the theme of class defection is at the heart of the modernity.
Someone like Julien Sorel, struggling to rise through society, raises questions that remain very relevant in France today, particularly when we speak of social mobility, which may be even more stuck now than it was then. Several of its themes therefore resonate with current events. There is also the return of obscurantism, embodied by the ‘black’ in the title.” While enthusiastically embracing the material and its enduring themes, the production team faced a major task in transposing such a rich and complex novel into a television series.
Our aim was to focus on several aspects of the story and draw from them a clear, coherent storyline. Gilles Taurand and Georges-Marc Benamou’s clever work, applying the conventions of serial storytelling to this variation, has given the work a much-needed ‘rejuvenation’ while remaining deeply faithful to its spirit.” In casting “The Red and the Black,” the production team found their ideal lead in Belmondo, particularly for their more authentic take on the character of Julien Sorel. The cast also includes Camille Razat (“Emily in Paris”) and Virginie Ledoyen (“At Work”).
We wanted to return to the origins of Julien Sorel: a man whose ambition is thwarted both by his own limitations and by those imposed by others, an anti-romantic hero.” Morel adds: “Victor Belmondo immediately struck me as the ideal Julien Sorel. His youthfulness and intensity, together with his ability to convey a brooding, determined quality, provide the perfect vehicle for capturing the essence of the character. Behind his youth and impoverished social background lies a fierce ambition and an almost pathological need for recognition.
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