Skip to main content

Chateu de Cartes? Netflix looks at Gerard Depardieu for French House of Cards

house of cards marseille depardieu gerard
Image used with permission by copyright holder
Netflix is reportedly considering offering a version of its popular original series House of Cards en francais, with none other than famous French actor Gerard Depardieu playing the lead role of Frank Underwood (or, directly translated, might he be Frank Sousbois?) According to Deadline, Netflix is already in talks with the the actor for the series, which will be called Marseille.

If the series gets the green light it would be Netflix’s first original French-language series produced in France. It would not, however, make House of Cards new to Europe. The American series is, of course, based on the original British BBC series of the same name, which starred Ian Richards as Francis Urquhart, and aired back in the ‘90s.

Related: ‘I will leave a legacy,’ Frank Underwood promises, as Netflix renews House of Cards for fourth season

Deadline reports that the new series, while inspired by the Netflix tentpole, will not be an exact replica of the racy Kevin Spacey drama. Rather, it will focus on Robert Taro, mayor of a French city who, after many years in office, finds himself pitted against a younger, hipper new candidate. Twisting the knife deeper, the upstart opponent was formerly Taro’s protégé! Sac le bleu!

The series will consist of eight episodes, all written by Dan Franck (Carlos) and produced by Pascal Breton’s Federation Entertainment. Florent-Emilio Siri (Cloclo) will direct the first two episodes, and Samuel Benchetrit (J’ai toujours reve d’etre un gangster) may be on board to direct a few episodes as well.

While Netflix hasn’t confirmed Depardieu’s involvement, he would be a logical candidate if Netflix hopes to generate buzz surrounding the show, both in France and the U.S. – Depardieu is, of course, a well-recognized, relatively high-profile actor in both countries.

This show would not mark the first French-language content available through Netflix: the Canadian version of the site first offered French-language content for French-speaking Canadians in 2012, and has since added plenty more programs in the language of amour.

Editors' Recommendations

Christine Persaud
Christine has decades of experience in trade and consumer journalism. While she started her career writing exclusively about…
Intel’s next GPU just leaked, and it looks like a sub-$200 card worth buying
The Intel logo on the Arc A770 graphics card.

A long-forgotten Intel Arc GPU just made another reappearance, and this time around, it might actually be for real. Intel's Arc A580 popped up on Geizhals, an Austrian price comparison site, and it's even available in two different models. While the Arc A580 doesn't have what it takes to compete with some of the best graphics cards, it could turn out to be a solid budget-friendly option if priced appropriately.

The Intel Arc A580 was announced what feels like forever ago. Intel mentioned it several times prior to the launch of its A770 and A750, and it was included in the marketing materials for the Arc A770, Arc A750, and Arc 380. It always seemed like a good middle ground between those three GPUs, bridging the gap between the top of the lineup and the entry-level A380. But it never materialized, and Intel hasn't said a word about it since.

Read more
Painkiller meets horror in The Fall of the House of Usher trailer
Bruce Greenwood in The Fall of the House of Usher.

If you've ever read Edgar Allan Poe's The Fall of the House of Usher, then you know that it doesn't have a story long enough to support eight episodes of television. However, for Mike Flanagan's final project at Netflix, the upcoming miniseries for The Fall of the House of Usher will be drawing upon more than just Poe's original story. Flanagan incorporates elements of Poe's other tales to expand the story of the doomed Usher family. And if the first trailer is any indication, Flanagan is also adding a touch of Painkiller and Succession to the gothic horror of Poe.

The Fall of the House of Usher | Official Trailer | Netflix

Read more
5 most anticipated Netflix shows coming in late 2023
The cast of The Fall of the House of Usher.

Between new seasons of returning series like The Witcher, Sweet Tooth, and The Lincoln Lawyer, and a ton of new shows like Beef, The Night Agent, The Diplomat, and FUBAR, you might understandably think that Netflix has already run out of big new and returning series for 2023. However, Netflix has never been known for modestly spending on programing, and there's still a lot of series coming up in the remaining months of the year that are going to keep you binging shows through the rest of 2023.

In this week alone, Netflix's newest live-action anime adaptation, One Piece, is set to premiere, with the final season of the animated comedy Disenchantment also arriving on September 1. But since those series are literally right around the corner, we've decided to focus on the five most anticipated Netflix shows coming in late 2023 so you can start planning ahead even further into immediate future. With these five series, Netflix subscribers are really getting their money's worth.
Castlevania: Nocturne (September 28)

Read more