'Dumas: Black Devil' to Ride on the Big Screen
Portrait du Général Dumas, painting by Olivier Pichat
(Photo: Alexandre Dumas Museum)
You've probably never heard of French history's most famous Black general, who fought alongside (and later feuded with) Napoleon and inspired a literary classic. Director Ladj Ly aims to change that with his upcoming film Dumas: Black Devil. Known for his crime thriller Les Miserables, which was nominated for Best International Feature at the 2020 Academy Awards, Ly will explore the life of Thomas Alexandre Davy de la Pailleterie Dumas, a soldier who rose to prominence fighting in the French Revolution and whose son — the famous author Alexandre Dumas — made his story legend by using it as the inspiration for the fictional revenge fantasy The Count of Monte Cristo.
Thomas-Alexandre Dumas was born in what is now Haiti, the son of a French count and a Black enslaved woman. Since the French empire offered legal protection to mixed-race people then, he moved to France at a young age and enlisted in the army, ultimately becoming the first and highest-ranking Black leader in the French military. He served as a general in the Revolutionary Army alongside Napoleon, winning battle after battle and earning the nickname "Black Devil."
But his many successes made Napoleon nervous— Dumas was quite charismatic and popular — and the future emperor left Dumas to rot in prison after he was captured while fighting in Naples. Though he was released several years later, Dymas never recovered from his imprisonment and died before his son turned four years old. But young Alexandre, who grew up hearing his mother's stories of his father's bravery, went on to immortalize him in fiction.
Ly is now aiming to do the same in film. “I was immediately captivated by the story of Dumas, the first Black general in the French army," he said. "I can’t wait to bring this story to the big screen, as it will reveal a forgotten part of our history.”
No word yet on who might be cast in this sweeping project, though Variety reports it will "include major French and international stars."
Dumas: Black Devil will be produced by Srab Films, which has been behind all of Ly's movies, including Les Miserables. Pathé, makers of the current French box office hit The Count of Monte Cristo and the recent two-part The Three Musketeers film, will distribute the movie and handle international sales.
“Whilst diving into Alexandre Dumas’ work, I stumbled upon the story of his father, General Dumas. The absolutely extraordinary life journey of took me aback and quite surprised it wasn’t more well known,” producer Dmitri Rassam said in a statement. "It felt evident that Ladj Ly would be the perfect match to bring this story to the screen, which deserves a movie as complex and fascinating as General Dumas was."
Filming will begin this year. Although the budget has not been revealed, it’s expected to be one of the most ambitious French projects to be produced in 2025.
