Image via Vanity Fair exclusively
Victor Hugo’s legendary tale gets a bold historical reimagining on Netflix. Previously operating under the business title Quasimodo, the name of Paristhe newly retitled French epic (again). The Hunchback, the spirit of Paris Gearing up for a huge global release.
We’ve been tracking this huge international feature for a while. We reported this for the first time Vincent Cassel will headline the project Back in June 2025, and filed later An early preview of what to expect When the project was renamed in English to Quasimodo, the spirit of Paris. Now, thanks to new exclusive deep dives and first look photos from Vanity Fair Francewe’ve got a treasure trove of new details, including the film’s official release date and runtime.
Here’s your comprehensive guide to everything you need to know about it The Hunchback, the spirit of Paris Coming to Netflix in late November, it’s easily the next talked about French title, second only to Lupine He comes back.
What is it The Hunchback, the spirit of Paris on?
If you’re expecting a traditional Disney-style adaptation of Hugo The Hunchback of Notre DameThink again. This film leans heavily into historical drama, action, and thrillers, with a confirmed runtime of 1 hour and 43 minutes.
This is the official logo for the new film:
Paris, 1830. As cholera threatens to destroy the city, a hunchback hunted for medical experiments is caught between political turmoil and impossible love.
According to the manager Jean-François Richet In his interview with Vanity Fair, the script was inspired by the theories of British archivist Adrian Glee, who claimed that the famous bell ringer was actually based on an actual stone carver that Hugo encountered. “We start from a credible hypothesis, not a true story,” Richet explained.
Image via Vanity Fair exclusively
Set on the eve of the historic July Revolution, the film is a high-stakes chase thriller. Quasimodo is mercilessly hunted in a plague-ridden Paris by the Director of Security and a determined doctor who wants to conduct clinical tests on the “creature” to find a cure for cholera. Richett promises a project that blends action with stunning modern themes. “It talks about class struggle, people, elites, medicine, beauty, and the beauty of the ugly,” the director told the outlet. “There is a shocking line in the film: ‘They found vaccines because they experimented on children.’ And it is a historical fact.”
Who’s behind the Netflix movie?
The film is directed by the famous French director Jean-François Richetknown for Hollywood thrillers such as airplane and Blood fatherin addition to high-profile French crime films such as Mesreen The epic and Emperor of Paris. The script was written by Eric Besnard (Jean Valjean) and Edgar Marie. Produced by Clément Miserez and Matthieu Warter for Radar Films, the project represents a huge investment for Netflix’s international film slate, boasting a massive budget of around €30 million.
Who’s in the cast?
Vanity Fair magazine also revealed in its first exclusive photos of the global cinema giant Vincent Cassel (Black swan, Ocean XII, No, it’s fine) undergoes a dramatic transformation to play the famous hunchback.
Rounding out the stellar French cast are:
- Leclo cream (Pak Nord, The world is yours) as Director of Hunting Security Quasimodo
- Benjamin Voisin (Lost illusions, Summer 85) as the doctor is desperate to conduct experiments on him
- Daphne Patacchia (Benedetta)
- Noemi Lvovsky (Camel rewind)
- Sebastian Boudreau (The Three Musketeers: D’Artagnan)
- Elie Nahmani
- Alexis Rosenstiel
When is the Netflix release date? The Hunchback, the spirit of Paris?
Netflix has officially confirmed that the film will premiere globally on Netflix November 27, 2026.
Are you looking forward to checking out this bold new version of Quasimodo? Let us know in the comments below!