Pathé Unveils a Look at De Gaulle: A Two-Part French Resistance Epic
Pathé, the storied French studio behind classics like The Three Musketeers and The Count of Monte Cristo, has released a teaser for De Gaulle, a sweeping two-part historical thriller from Antonin Baudry. The saga follows the French Resistance during World War II through the perspective of General Charles de Gaulle.
Scheduled as a major summer cinematic event for 2026, the pair of films will be released in France a few weeks apart. De Gaulle: Tilting Iron is set to premiere on June 10, while De Gaulle: The Sovereign Edge will debut on July 3.
The project has now entered post-production with ambitions to reach a global audience. The production features an international cast and is filmed across multiple countries, spanning locations from London to Paris, Casablanca to Dakar, among others.
Leading the cast, Simon Abkarian portrays General Charles de Gaulle. The ensemble includes Benoît Magimel as Pierre Koenig, Mathieu Kassovitz as Francois Darlan, Niels Schneider as General Leclerc, and Simon Russell Beale as Winston Churchill, with Campbell Scott stepping into the role of Franklin D. Roosevelt.
Rising stars Florian Lesieur and Anamaria Vartolomei—the César-winning actress known for Happening and Bong Joon-ho’s Mickey 17—portray younger voices within the Resistance. The lineup also features Karim Leklou, Félix Kysyl, Thierry Lhermitte, Grégoire Colin, Kacey Mottet Klein, Tom Mison, Pip Torrens, Stephen Campbell Moore, and Daniel Betts.
The two films are adapted from Julian Jackson’s biography De Gaulle: A Certain Idea of France, a foundational reference work on de Gaulle and Free France. The screenplay, including adaptation and dialogue, was written by Baudry with co-writer Bérénice Vila. This project marks a reunion for Pathé and Baudry, following the 2019 submarine thriller The Wolf’s Call.
De Gaulle marks Pathé’s internal production alongside its successful run with The Count of Monte Cristo, a Cannes 2024 world premiere that dominated French box offices by drawing nearly 10 million admissions. Jérôme Seydoux, Pathé’s chairman who also leads France’s top cinema chain, produces the De Gaulle saga, with Pathé Films president Ardavan Safaee and Axelle Boucaï co-producing.
The narrative opens in June 1940, as France has fallen to the Germans and signed an armistice. De Gaulle, an isolated and relatively unknown general, rejects surrender. With no army, little political backing, and scant hope, he flees to London, propelled by a conviction described as irrational: that France, his France, has not laid down arms. The films trace how De Gaulle works to convince both the world and his compatriots that the battle for France is far from over, and explores how diverse resistance bands—courageous students, steadfast soldiers, and committed partisans—rise up across England, France, and Africa to support the cause.
Baudry draws on his experience within the French diplomatic corps to render the political maze of Free France with authenticity, highlighting power struggles, moral dilemmas, and human frailties that shaped postwar Europe.
Baudry reflects on the kind of person who refuses to surrender in 1940 and dedicates a life to France, explaining why he became so captivated that he decided to tell the story in two films instead of one.
Safaee describes De Gaulle as a resonant, timely meditation on resistance and commitment. Directed by Baudry, the two films weave a high-stakes geopolitical thriller with a deeply human journey, inviting viewers to immerse themselves in the critical hours when ordinary people and leaders faced impossible choices that would alter history.
Safaee emphasizes that the films honor the courage, solidarity, and moral resolve of those who fought, capturing the human stakes behind history in the making.
In addition to production, Pathé will oversee theatrical and home distribution, as well as international sales. Co-producers include TF1 Films Production, Logical Content Ventures, Belvédère, Ness Films, and Beside Productions, with Canal+, Disney+, and TF1 also involved.
De Gaulle sits among Pathé’s slate of prestige epics, alongside upcoming projects such as Dumas: Black Devil, directed by Ladj Ly. The latter centers on Thomas Alexandre Davy de la Pailleterie Dumas, a Caribbean-born slave who rose to prominence as a revolutionary French general.
The De Gaulle poster features the Cross of Lorraine—a historic emblem of the Free French Forces symbolizing resilience, unity, courage, and freedom in stark contrast to the Nazi swastika, as Pathé notes.
