A new adaptation of a novel featuring one of the most controversial characters in literature will be released in theaters in the coming months.
She was a heroine of a novel, before her sensual adventures were transposed to the screen. In a few months, it will be possible to discover a new version of this literary character invented at the end of the 50s which has given rise to several adaptations in dark rooms.
Published in 1959, Emmanuelle is a French novel written by Marayat Bibidh under the pen name Emmanuelle Arsan. This work tells a series of explicit fantasies of the heroine, which describes her relationships with men or women. In 1974, it was adapted for the big screen, with the Dutch actress Sylvia Kristel in the title role.
The year 2024 will therefore offer a modernized version of the novel. Emmanuelle. Directed by Audrey Diwan (who previously directed the successful adaptation of Annie Ernaux’s novel The event), the film which revealed its first very sensual trailer on July 2, sees actress Noémie Merlant (Portrait of a Lady on Fire) to play the title role. She is joined by British actress Naomi Watts (Mullholand Drive, King Kong), but also the actors Will Sharpe (The White Lotus), Jamie Campbell Bower (Stranger Things) or Anthony Wong (Infernal Affairs, All Proof).
Audrey Diwan explained to Deadline in February 2023 that she wanted to explore the notion of pleasure in cinema with this version set in a hotel in Hong Kong. And she built a new version of the character of Emmanuelle: “a woman who has power, who fought, climbed her mountain, and also built herself a suit of armor. She feels alone. But how do you get out of solitude? Emmanuelle is the story of a woman who tries to let go. The whole film is about finding a path towards the other.”
With this film, Audrey Diwan seeks to deal more with the relationship with others, with the way in which we weave links. The new adaptation ofEmmanuelle with Noémie Merlant is released in theaters in France on September 25.