Verlaine and Rimbaud, “A Tale From Two Cities”: French channels make their announcements at Séries Mania

The professional forum of the Séries Mania festival, in Lille (North), was the place for announcements, this Thursday, March 26, for French channels. Between new images, casting revelations and presentations of new projects, here is what to remember from France Télévisions, Arte and TF 1.

Literary adaptations, rom com and adventure on France Télévisions

France Télévisions notably screened images of “Red and the Black”, the latest literary adaptation to come soon on France 2. Anne Holmes, head of fiction for the public audiovisual group, also said: “With the same team as The Red and the Blackwe are going to make an adaptation of the lives of Verlaine and Rimbaud, another passionate drama.” Without giving further details, it makes your mouth water.

Upcoming international dramas and co-productions were also highlighted. Announced in France on Prime Video, the series “A Tale of Two Cities”, adapted from Charles Dickens, with François Civil and Kit Harington, will then be broadcast on France Télévisions. Excellent news for this ambitious creation where the French actor plays his first major role in English, opposite the star of “Game of Thrones”.

On another note, a romantic comedy, “Free Pass”, is in development with the United Kingdom. “It’s the story of a married couple who need to rebuild themselves in a heavenly place,” explained Manuel Alduy, director of cinema and international fiction and young adults of the group. But on site, the vacation could well prove disastrous.

Finally, the adventure series “The Emperor’s Stone” in development with Germany, Italy and Canada, whose filming is imminent, has revealed its cast. She will notably be played by the British Colin Morgan (“Merlin”), the French Antonia Desplat (“Oriental Plain”) and Tomer Sisley. The six-episode fiction follows a family whose ancestor was a pirate and who sets out in search of a mysterious stone.

Hormones, mythomania and corpse in a suitcase for Arte

As for Arte announcements, the new release by Noé Debré (“Parliament”, “Le Sens des choses”), co-written with Joachim Schnerf, is currently in development. This co-production with Belgium, entitled “Hormones”, takes place in the Netherlands in the 1930s. “The story begins in a slaughterhouse,” describes Agnès Olier, head of fiction at Arte France. A German researcher will discover sex hormones and develop the first female contraception. The scientist will test this experiment, which is still in its infancy, on the factory workers who are completely consenting (…) This series tells how this subject will trigger waves of uncontrollable violence within the factory and in the city and which foreshadow a Europe on the threshold of the Second World War. »

Furthermore, “The Man in the Monkey Coat” will begin filming at the start of the 2026 school year. “A story of mythomania in the 1960s and 1970s,” explains Alexandre Piel, head of fiction at Arte France. Jeanne, a young magistrate of modest origins, is appointed to investigate a complaint for the sale of fake paintings (…) The main suspect is an art dealer in a fur coat, covered in jewelry and surrounded by a court of young people, the flamboyant Fernand Legros. The affair of false paintings turns out to be global. » This French series is inspired by a true story.

Finally, a more immediate project, another Franco-Belgian co-production: the future series by Mathieu Donck, Stéphane Bergmans and Benjamin d’Aoust (“Des gens bien”), “Two times disappeared”. It is worn by César Domboy (“Outlander”, “Cult”), Guillaume Pottier (“L’Amour ouf”, “Bastion 36”) and Megan Northam (“Greek Salad”, “Notre-Dame, la part du feu”). Agnès Olier announces the color: “Off the coast of Brittany, sailors go to fish for a suitcase, and inside there is a body (…) This series features two brothers who are completely opposite, Alex and Boris, but also a woman, Clara. » Filming is due to start in May.

Historical sagas and societal subject at TF 1

The TF 1 group took advantage of the event to present four already familiar projects. Two fictions are also in French competition at the festival. “Summer 36”, first of all, a new historical fresco in the tradition of the “Bazar de la Charité” and the “Combatantes”.

“Grandiose”, then, the story of six teenagers who are entering a school specializing in eating disorders.

The real exclusives concerned more the first images of “The Countess of Monte Cristo” and those of season 2 of “Cat’s Eyes”, which is long overdue since the premiere was broadcast in November 2024.