France 2: launch of the European blockbuster "Around the world in 80 days"

Louise Bernard with Alexis Patri 11:16 am, December 20, 2021

Five years of work for eight episodes.

France 2 is launching a European blockbuster by broadcasting the first three episodes of the series

Monday evening 

.

This famous adaptation of Jules Vern's novel was born from the alliance of several groups and public channels: France Télévisions, the German ZDF and the Italian Raï.

The episodes follow the adventures of three heroes: the British gentleman Fogg, played by the actor by David Tennant (

,

), the journalist Fix, played by Leonie Benesch and the valet Passepartout, who takes on the features of the actor French Ibrahim Koma.

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"It's 

, it's Jules Verne. So we know that it will not go unnoticed, that it will pass throughout the world. A chance like that does not happen every day. days ", rejoices Ibrahim Koma at the microphone of Europe 1." I have been doing this job for 20 years and this is the first time that it has happened to me. So I work hard, even more than d 'Usually. I watched series to work on my English and my pronunciation, I reread the scripts a lot and got new versions every week, I worked every day from 8 am to midnight. "

A version "much more current" and "anchored in reality"

Don't expect an adaptation modeled after Jules Verne's novel. It is a modernized version which is offered on France 2, in particular by putting a female character among the heroes. In the book, Fix is ​​a policeman. In the series, she is the

first female reporter

. A character as adventurous as his traveling companions, if not more. Clever, she pulls them out of many situations. 

The other characters are also going through some changes.

And this is what particularly appealed to actor Ibrahim Koma.

"We have a Fogg who, instead of being a genius who solves everything in a fraction of a second, has faults, is not sure of himself. We have a Passepartout more quick-witted than in the book", he observes.

"This version is much more current, universal, and grounded in reality. You are taken by the story and the adventure, there is the action. It feels like watching an Indiana Jones."

The first three episodes of the

are broadcast Monday evening at 9:05 p.m. on France 2.