Bel Ami | by Paul Verhoeven

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Fresh off the news that Paul Verhoeven’s new film, “Benedetta,” is skipping the film festivals in 2020 for a May 2021 release date, due to the COVID-19 pandemic canceling the Cannes Film Festival, it appears that the filmmaker is already lining up his next project, an adaptation of the classic novel “Bel Ami,” which will bring him back to the world of TV.

Producer Saïd Ben Saïd announced the news on Twitter, writing, “Paul Verhoeven is set to take on a series adaptation of the classic French novel « Bel Ami ». He will serve as showrunner and direct the entire series (8 episodes) in the French language. Gerard Soeteman (Black book, Flesh and Blood, Spetters, etc) has written the 8 episodes.” He further explained in another tweet that each episode of the series will clock in around 52 minutes.

And though this isn’t coming from Verhoeven or a trade outlet, Saïd Ben Saïd would likely be someone who definitely knows what’s going on with the filmmaker, as they have collaborated on numerous films, including the upcoming drama “Benedetta.”

“Bel Ami” is based on the novel by French author Guy de Maupassant. The book tells the story of journalist Georges Duroy’s rise to power from a French soldier in the African colonies in the 19th century to one of the most powerful men in Paris. source

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Thanks to disagreements with the screenwriter, the series is stalled.