Picture via Vanity Fair Exclusive
Victor Hugo’s legendary tale is getting a gritty, historical reimagining on Netflix. Formerly operating under the working title Quasimodo, l’âme de Paris, the newly retitled (again) French epic The Hunchback, Soul of Paris is gearing up for a massive global release.
We’ve been tracking this hefty international feature for a while now. We first reported that Vincent Cassel would headline the project back in June 2025, and later provided an early preview of what to expect when the project had been renamed in English to Quasimodo, the Soul of Paris. Now, thanks to a massive new exclusive deep-dive and first-look images from Vanity Fair France, we have a treasure trove of fresh details, including the movie’s official release date and runtime.
Here is your comprehensive guide to everything you need to know about The Hunchback, Soul of Paris coming to Netflix in late November and is easily the must talked about French title coming up, second only to Lupin’s return.
What is The Hunchback, Soul of Paris about?
If you’re expecting a traditional, Disney-style adaptation of Hugo’s The Hunchback of Notre-Dame, think again. This movie is leaning heavily into historical drama, action, and thriller territory, with a confirmed runtime of 1 hour and 43 minutes.
Here is the official logline for the new film:
Paris, 1830. As cholera threatens to ravage the city, a hunchback hunted for medical experiments is caught between political turmoil and impossible love.
According to director Jean-François Richet in his interview with Vanity Fair, the script is inspired by the theories of British archivist Adrian Glew, who claimed the famous bell-ringer was actually based on a real-life stone carver Hugo encountered. “We are starting from a credible premise rather than a true story,” Richet explained.
Picture via Vanity Fair Exclusive
Set on the eve of the historic July Revolution, the film functions as a high-stakes chase movie. Quasimodo is ruthlessly hunted through a plague-ridden Paris by the Director of Security and a determined doctor who wants to run clinical tests on “the creature” to find a cure for cholera. Richet promises a project that blends thrilling action with shockingly modern themes. “It talks about the class struggle, the people, the elites, medicine, beauty, and the beauty of the ugly,” the director told the outlet. “There is a shocking phrase in the film: ‘It’s because they experimented on children that they found vaccines.’ Which is a historical truth.”
Who is behind the Netflix movie?
The film is directed by acclaimed French filmmaker Jean-François Richet, well-known for his Hollywood action thrillers like Plane and Blood Father, as well as high-profile French crime films like the Mesrine saga and The Emperor of Paris. The screenplay was penned by Éric Besnard (Jean Valjean) and Edgar Marie. Produced by Clément Miserez and Matthieu Warter for Radar Films, this project represents a massive investment for Netflix’s international film slate, boasting a hefty reported budget of approximately €30 million.
Who is in the cast?
As Vanity Fair revealed in their exclusive first-look photos, international cinematic giant Vincent Cassel (Black Swan, Ocean’s Twelve, La Haine) undergoes a dramatic, transformation to play the famous hunchback.
Rounding out the stellar French cast are:
- Karim Leklou (BAC Nord, The World Is Yours) as the Director of Security hunting Quasimodo
- Benjamin Voisin (Lost Illusions, Summer of 85) as the doctor desperate to experiment on him
- Daphné Patakia (Benedetta)
- Noémie Lvovsky (Camille Rewinds)
- Sébastien Pouderoux (The Three Musketeers: D’Artagnan)
- Eli Nachmani
- Alexis Rosenstiehl
When is the Netflix release date for The Hunchback, Soul of Paris?
Netflix has officially confirmed that the movie will make its global debut on Netflix on November 27, 2026.
Are you looking forward to checking out this gritty new take on Quasimodo? Let us know in the comments below!