We can't get enough of "Dangerous Liaisons" The French novel returns in 2025 with the series "Merteuil" starring Diane Kruger and Lucas Bravo

The power and romantic feud between Viscount Sébastien de Valmont and Marquise Isabelle de Merteuil is among the most well-known in the world. And, most notably, one of the most adapted. Characters born from the mind of Pierre Choderlos de Laclos, their tales of palace intrigue and seduction form the core of the novel Dangerous Liaisons, published in 1782. Aristocratic scheming intertwines with desires for control, culminating in a bet that wounds everyone involved, knowingly or not. The French novel features the cynical seducer Valmont accepting the Marquise’s challenge to corrupt the virtue of the young and innocent Cécile de Volanges, promised to the dashing Raphael Danceny, who had ended a relationship with Isabelle de Merteuil. A means of revenge, to which the Viscount agrees on one condition: a night of passion with the Marquise, as has happened several times before, though never with the sweet taste of victory tied to the challenge. Everything could go according to their diabolical plans, were it not for Valmont encountering the upright Marie de Tourvel, married and devoted to her husband, to whom he is mischievously attracted. Feelings upon feelings wounded, all for the happiness of a few. The ending of Dangerous Liaisons is indeed tragic, making it one of the most beautiful stories in world literature, adapted and revisited countless times in cinema and serial productions—and destined to continue in the future.

Although the 1988 version immediately comes to mind, written by Christopher Hampton based on the namesake play and directed for the big screen by Stephen Frears—winner of three Oscars, including Best Adapted Screenplay, Production Design, and Costume Design—the first cinematic adaptation of the novel dates back to 1959, directed by Roger Vadim and starring Gérard Philipe, Jeanne Moreau, Annette Strøyberg, and Boris Vian. However, Glenn Close and John Malkovich are the first to appear in our minds as Sébastien de Valmont and Isabelle de Merteuil, alongside the young and captivating Uma Thurman and Keanu Reeves, as well as the pure Michelle Pfeiffer. Laden with a sexual tension intended to heighten the drama and consequences of the desire for control that surpasses love, the protagonists orchestrate an unforgettable spectacle, manipulating other characters like puppets, only to discover they cannot move them as freely as they’d hoped. The 1988 adaptation of Dangerous Liaisons is a costume drama of textbook grandeur, the benchmark for any subsequent version that dares to measure up or, at the very least, not pale in comparison. Few have succeeded, either too timid or lacking the same savoir-faire, coming closer only when reimagining the story’s setting and framework.

This is the case with Cruel Intentions, Roger Kumble’s 1999 film, and not with Miloš Forman’s 1989 Valmont, released just a year after Frears’ work. Despite a cast featuring Colin Firth, Annette Bening, Meg Tilly, and Fairuza Balk, it lacked the same impact to establish itself in the cinematic imagination, even with a different ending from the original story. In contrast, the 1990s film with Sarah Michelle Gellar, Reese Witherspoon, Selma Blair, and Ryan Phillippe succeeded. Set in Manhattan, it brings the dilemmas of court to a modern, upscale New York. A youthful and sinful reinterpretation, sexy and captivating in its own way, full of iconic scenes showcasing how to adapt a text into a completely different yet effective package, thanks to the universality of its themes and the ability to make them chameleonic to style, genre, and era.

Not just Hollywood has tackled Dangerous Liaisons. There’s a 2003 South Korean production by director E J-yong and a 1920s Brazil-set reinterpretation in the miniseries Ligações Perigosas, scripted by Manuel Dias. In the era of streaming, even platforms have taken on the story. The modern French adaptation of Dangerous Liaisons, directed by Rachel Suissa in 2022, tries to reintroduce the tale to Netflix audiences with a youthful and pop twist, similar to Cruel Intentions in the late 1990s. However, it diminishes the drama inherent in Pierre Choderlos de Laclos’ work, resulting in an anonymous film. Similar issues plague the serialized versions, from the eight-episode Starz costume drama by Harriet Warner in 2022 to the Prime Video series, inspired not by the novel itself but its re-adaptation, Cruel Intentions. This reinterpretation aligns with the preferences of platform users and makes sense given that one of the most-watched Originals worldwide in 2024 is the young adult drama It’s Your Fault?, launched in over 240 countries and based on Mercedes Ron’s bestselling trilogy Culpables.

If we thought the fire of Dangerous Liaisons would fade after all its screen versions, recent or not, we were mistaken. Merteuil, whose filming began on September 4, 2024, and is currently in post-production, is the series revisiting the book’s story, joining the list of French audiovisual offerings for the streaming service Max. The narrative focuses on the titular Marquise, played by Anamaria Vartolomei, a Romanian-born French actress known for projects like Happening by Annie Ernaux, The Empire by Bruno Dumont, and the latest French adaptation of The Count of Monte Cristo, directed by Alexandre de La Patellière and Matthieu Delaporte. The series delves into the protagonist’s personality, offering a contemporary reinterpretation emphasizing her feminine emancipation amidst the social climbing and patriarchal norms of the 18th century. The cast includes Diane Kruger as Rosemonde, alongside Lucas Bravo of Emily in Paris and Noée Abita, who appeared with Charlotte Gainsbourg in The Passengers of the Night and Carlo Sironi’s film Sole. Scheduled for release in the second half of 2025, Merteuil aspires to be one of the year’s most ambitious creative projects.