Chien 51 | Cedric Jimenez

[BluBonnet]

Wow, a €40-million budget is pretty big for a French sci-fi film.... and Adèle Exarchopoulos is just the icing on the cake...

‘November’ Director Cedric Jimenez on Weaving Thriller, Social Commentary and AI Themes in ‘Chien 51,’ a Paris-Set Dystopian Film

After directing a pair of contemporary thrillers “The Stronghold” and “November,” French director Cedric Jimenez is diving into genre for his next movie, “Chien 51,” a dystopian film that once again explores the work and minds of cops but this time in a near-future environment ruled by AI.

“Chien 51,” which reteams Jimenez with French producer Hugo Selignac at Chi-Fou-Mi (a Mediawan company) and distributor Studiocanal, is based on Laurent Gaudé’s 2022 futuristic thriller novel by the same name.

The movie marks Jimenez’s most ambitious movie to date and boasts a budget in the €40-million ballpark. The 18-week shoot took place on location in Paris, as well as in Marseille and in a studio where set were built. One of 2025’s most anticipated French movies, “Chien 51” will boast extensive visual effects and stylish set designs with some spectacular scenes involving up to 500 extras.

Rather than setting the film in far-off future, Jimenez said he envisioned “Chien 51” in a world that amplifies present-day societal trends that he perceives, including growing social divides and restrictions on freedom, as well as the AI in public services.

Jimenez, who penned “Chien 51” with “November” co-writer Olivier Demangel, says not everything in the book was adaptable in a movie, but adds that he and Demangel “kept the senses, atmosphere, the characters, the themes of the novel.”

Set to be completed in July, the film unfolds in a not-so-distant Paris. The city is divided into three zones that separate social classes, with checkpoints regulating movement between them. An AI called Alma has revolutionized the police system and controls it. It recreates crime scenes and calculates the probability of guilt, influencing the direction of investigations. When Alma’s inventor is murdered, Salia and Zem, two cops from different zones who are polar opposites, are forced to collaborate on the investigation.

“Chien 51” is headlined by two of France’s most bankable actors, Adèle Exarchopoulos (“Beating Hearts”) and Gilles Lellouche (“November”).