Around The World In 80 Days: A Very Successful Adaptation On France 2

From Monday 20 December, France 2 will broadcast the series Around the World in 80 Days, adapted from the famous adventure novel by Jules Verne. Modernized, spectacular and full of humor, this European co-production offers perfect family entertainment for the holidays. We have listed 3 good reasons for you to discover this new series.

1- An impeccable cast

The series adaptation of Jules Verne's masterpiece boasts an impeccable cast, starting with Britain's David Tennant as Phileas Fogg and France's Ibrahim Koma as his servant Jean Passepartout.

David Tennant, the revelation of the Broadchurch series already broadcast on France 2, takes on the lead role in this compelling adaptation of the novel Around the World in 80 Days.

The actor who is also a former Doctor Who wonderfully embodies the perfect British gentleman. As in the famous novel by Jules Verne, his character Phileas Fogg will take up the crazy challenge of going around the world in 80 days...

In this European cast, German actress Léonie Benesch plays Abigail Fix Fortescue, a new character who brings a feminine and even feminist touch to this adventure.

2- A modern rereading

This 8-episode series, to be discovered on France 2, is the tenth audiovisual adaptation of this great classic of French literature. You may remember that Pierce Brosnan had already played Phileas Fogg in 1989 in a three-part series...

In London in 1872, the gentleman Phileas Fogg receives one morning a mysterious postcard reproaching him for being a coward. This accusation disturbs him so much that he agrees, after Reading a press article about the opening of a new section of railway in India, to take up a crazy bet launched by Nyle Bellamy, a member of the private club he frequents: to go around the world in 80 days!

This hero, who leaves his cozy cocoon out of pride, is a kind of 19th-century superhero. Through its three main characters, the Around the World in 80 Days series pays fervent tribute to the adventurers of this world, whether they travel by air, land or sea.

Although this Tv series is faithful to the plot of Jules Verne's cult novel, it offers a modern, spectacular and irresistibly funny adaptation.

Indeed, the screenwriters have managed to modernize Jules Verne's masterpiece with brio. For example, the novel's Detective Fix does not appear in this version, where he is replaced by a feminist and fearless journalist, Abigail Fix.

In this adaptation, therefore, it is a female reporter who follows Phileas Fogg on his journey, instead of the policeman who (in the novel) suspects the hero of robbing the Bank of England.

It should be noted that this European co-production almost never saw the light of day. Indeed, this ambitious project had to stop after only 3 weeks of shooting in South Africa due to the Covid-19 pandemic in spring 2020.

3- A fiction with a big show

Fortunately for viewers, Around the World in 80 Days was finally shot in South Africa and Romania. And the result promises to be a real eye-opener!

Visually sublime, this series pays homage to the great adventure films that are rarely seen on television...

This journey also promises to be full of adventures and humor. Adapting the mythical work of Jules Verne indeed offers the opportunity to confront a stilted hero with other peoples and other cultures.

For Phileas Fogg, the clash of cultures will be rough and his reactions will be all the funnier: 'We don't laugh at the people he meets but we do laugh at his embarrassing reaction.', explains Ashley Pharoah, the series' co-creator with Caleb Ranson.

Over the course of the episodes, it will be about tolerance and open-mindedness, two qualities that the hero does not initially possess and that he will have to learn during his journey.

This wonderful adventure, which skillfully mixes action and emotion, is to be discovered from Monday 20 December at 9:05 pm on France 2.

On the other hand, it is not sure that Phileas Fogg will reach the end of his journey in 8 episodes because a season 2 has already been ordered.

Moreover, the production has also planned to adapt another novel by Jules Verne: Journey to the Center of the Earth!