# Goldwyn Bets on French WW2 Epic ‘De Gaulle’ Crossing Over to U.S. Audiences: ‘It’s the Story of an Ally’

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/goldwyn-bets-on-french-ww2-epic-de-gaulle-crossing-over-to-u-s-audiences-its-the-story-of-an-ally/
- Published: 2026-11-09T03:16:45+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-09T04:23:59+00:00
- Original publisher: Variety
- Original article: https://variety.com/2026/film/global/goldwyn-french-ww2-epic-de-gaulle-crossing-over-u-s-audiences-1236942834/
- Topics: Americas, Entertainment, Europe, Film, World

## Key points

- Goldwyn is taking the two-part de Gaulle epic to US cinemas and VOD.
- The films sold more than six million tickets in France.
- The second instalment is due in early December.

## Summary

Samuel Goldwyn Films is bringing Antonin Baudry’s two-part epic about Charles de Gaulle to US cinemas and transactional video-on-demand, betting that its World War II story can reach audiences unfamiliar with the French leader. The US premiere drew a seven-minute standing ovation, and distributor Peter Goldwyn says the films’ scale and character focus could appeal beyond arthouse viewers.

The €74 million production stars Simon Abkarian as de Gaulle and Simon Russell Beale as Winston Churchill. After a slow start, the films sold more than six million tickets in France; the first part, “De Gaulle: Resistance”, is the UK’s highest-grossing French-language film of the year and has been acquired for release in China. Goldwyn is showing the first film in major US markets, with the second, “De Gaulle: Liberty”, due in early December.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.