On the heels of back-to-back hits such “The Count of Monte-Cristo,” ambitious French producer Dimitri Rassam is launching Yapluka, a new European financing and distribution powerhouse with the backing of French industry leaders, including Pathé, M6 and Rodolphe Saadé’s CMA Media.
Rassam, whose production company Chapter 2 is owned by Mediawan, most recently partnered with Pathé on bigscreen adaptations of Alexandre Dumas’ literary jewels, including “The Count of Monte-Cristo,” which thrived at this year’s French box office, grossing over $75 million internationally so far (ahead of of its U.S. release), as well as the two-part adventure saga “The Three Musketeers.”
With these movies, Rassam, who is passionate about history, accomplished the rare feast of luring mainstream audiences, notably young adults, for costume movies shot in French. “The Count of Monte-Cristo” is now in its 24th week in French cinemas and has so far sold over 9.3 million admissions. It’s the best score in recent history for a local movie that’s not a French comedy.
The soft-spoken producer, who is the son of famed actor Carole Bouquet and iconic producer Jean-Pierre Rassam, now aims at tackling even bigger projects for the international market, as well as help nurturing a new generation of filmmakers and producers who share his vision to “build a strong and ambitious European line up.”
The first project right off the gate at Yapluka is “The Iron King,” a sprawling epic movie that’s part of Maurice Druon’s Les Rois Maudits (“The Accursed Kings”) and has inspired “Game of Thrones.” The movie will mark the English language debut of “The Count of Monte-Cristo” writers and filmmakers Alexandre de la Patellière and Matthieu Delaport
“We will be backing this new upcoming franchise with Chapter 2, Fargo Films and Pathé Films, and it will be the adaptation of a book series I had been dreaming of bringing to the big screen ever since I read it as teenager some 30 years ago,” said Rassam, who pointed out that the seven-book series penned by Druon inspired GRR Martin for his own “Game of Thrones.” The franchise will be starting with the first book “The Iron King” with an anticipated production start in 2026.
Having developed deep-entrenched bonds in the U.S. and France, Rassam has been able to attract some prestigious European family offices (whose names will be revealed at a later stages) to back Yapluka and will start operating as of today. Patrick Wachsberger, the Oscar-winning producer of “CODA” and well-respected international sales maverick who previously ran Lionsgate, has also joined the new venture as member of the advisory board of Yapluka.
“I aim to make ‘Yapluka’ a home for ambitious filmmakers,” says Rassam. “After 20 years as a producer myself I wanted to build a company that could accompany large European productions for the international market.”
Yapluka, whose name is a quibble on a French expression meaning something close to “let’s get started,” will focus on financing movies of a budgets between $20 million to $80 million which have the potential of reaching audiences on European and global scale. The company is looking to finance three to four movies per year.
Rassam said he’s been inspired by the model and philosophy of Legendary Entertainment and will be looking to partner with talents and studios alike, forming a “bridge between independent minded creatives and the need for the appropriate financing and distribution muscle.”
“I will continue my activities as a producer via Chapter 2 but I felt it was time to scale up my activities by entering the financing and distribution side whilst capitalizing on the experience and relationships forged as an independent producer over the last two decades in various formats and genres such as comedies, epic historical dramas, animation or high-end auteur films,” said Rassam, who believes in “aggregating talent.” “There is a wealth of talents I wish to partner up with and Yapluka is the ideal vehicle to do so.”
Speaking about their upcoming English-language debut, Patellière and Delaporte said they have “long dreamed of The Accursed Kings, the masterful saga by Maurice Druon.”
“This work, which has captivated generations with its epic scope, represents a unique artistic challenge, and we are honored to bring it to life on the big screen. The first volume, The Iron King, lays the foundation for this grand tragedy. We aim to create an unforgettable journey through the twists and turns of power, love, and betrayal,” said the duo, who also previously penned the two-part sagas “The Three Musketeers.”
Ardavan Safae, Chairman of Pathé Films, said “We are thrilled to be part of Dimitri Rassam’s new venture, YAPLUKA. Pathé has been a long-standing partner of Dimitri, successfully co-producing and distributing some of his most ambitious films, such as “The Three Musketeers” and “The Count of Monte- Cristo.”
“Our relationship is built on mutual trust and a shared commitment to excellence, from the earliest stages of development to global distribution. YAPLUKA represents an exciting opportunity to fill a gap in the market, supporting the kind of bold, high-quality projects that audiences crave.”
The executive said Pathe “could not be more excited to continue our journey with Dimitri, beginning with Les Rois Maudits, directed by the immensely talented Matthieu Delaporte and Alexandre de La Patellière, and many more exceptional projects to come.”
Thierry Desmichelle, CEO of SND and M6 films, the film arm of France’s second biggest commercial network, says the group “have been supporting Dimitri since his first production, ‘Trouble at Timpetill,’ and have had some tremendous hits with him, such as ‘Daddy or Mommy,’ ‘What’s in a Name?’ or more recently ‘The Three Musketeers’ and ‘The Count of Monte-Cristo.”
“It is therefore natural for us to follow him on this new exciting entrepreneurial journey and join the YAPLUKA adventure!,” said Desmichelle.
The new company will soon be announcing some more high project films. Rothschild & Co and Fairway Avocats are respectively financial and legal advisors of Yapluka.
Wachsberger described Rassam as “one of the best European producers working today, with a strong record of success not only within Europe but also around the globe.”
“His sharp understanding of international markets makes him uniquely poised for success in this new arena, and I’m eager to work with him in the years to come,” Wachsberger continued.
English (US) ·