In Dumas, Diable Noir, Ladj Ly takes on the “musketeers” Vincent Cassel and François Civil

Omar Sy , Vincent Cassel and François Civil have joined the cast of a French blockbuster in preparation, directed by Ladj Ly ( Les Misérables, Jury Prize at Cannes in 2019) and dedicated to the father of Alexandre Dumas, the producers announced on Monday, May 5, in a press release. The title role of Dumas, Diable noir will be played by Theo Christine, a hopeful of French cinema revealed in JoeyStarr in a series on the rap group NTM, Suprêmes .

The film will tell the story of Thomas Alexandre Davy de La Pailleterie Dumas, a slave born in 1762 in the Caribbean, the father of the author of The Three Musketeers. He became a general in the French army during the Revolution and was one of Bonaparte's general officers, along with Lannes and Murat, during the Egyptian campaign. "The story of General Dumas is both powerful and deeply inspiring," filmmaker Ladj Ly said in a statement. "A tale of courage, injustice and resilience that deserves to be fully recognized." Producer Dimitri Rassam also said the film will feature "The core of our technical team is exceptionally talented."

The film, presented as one of the most important French projects currently underway, is due to begin shooting in 2026. Film projects based on the life and work of Alexandre Dumas have been coming one after the other in recent years, following The Three Musketeers in 2023 and The Count of Monte Cristo in 2024. Like Dumas - Diable Noir , these films are produced by Pathé and Dimitri Rassam for Chapter 2.