HBO Max and France Télévisions said Wednesday that they have started filming in Paris on a six-part series, described as an “international fresco,” starring Bérénice Bejo about “the extraordinary life of Alice Guy Blaché — the world’s first female director and one of the cinema industry’s forgotten pioneers.”
Filming on the series, entitled Alice, will continue through December across France, Belgium, and Canada.
“From Paris’s Belle Époque to New-York and early Hollywood, Alice follows the remarkable journey of a visionary artist who defied conventions and expectations as a filmmaker, entrepreneur, wife, and mother,” reads a description of the project. “Her loves, her battles, and her relentless pursuit of recognition unfold against the birth of modern cinema.”
Academy Award nominee Bejo (The Artist, The Past, OSS 117, Under Paris) stars alongside Thibaut Evrard (Differente, Escort Boy, No Man’s Land, Paris Police 1900) as mentor Léon Gaumont, Oscar Lesage (The Count of Monte-Cristo, The Substance, Marie-Antoinette, The Crown) as her husband and partner Herbert Blaché, Irène Jacob (Liaisons, The Affair, 3 Colors Red) as her mother Marie, and Yannick Choirat (Under Paris, Home Jacking, A Damaged Man) as rival Charles Pathé.
The cast also includes Marc Barbé (Paris Police 1900), Steve Driesen (Case 137), Sophie Nélisse (Yellowjackets), François Arnaud (Yellowjackets, The Borgias), and Vincent Leclerc (Dumas).
Created by Tim Loane (Versailles Seasons 3, Marcella, Das Boat) and Claire Lemaréchal (currently showrunning OSS 117 spin-off for Canal Plus and Apple’s Drops of God season 2) and co-written with André Gulluni (Rematch), Alice is co-directed by Virginie Verrier (Marinette) and Guillaume Lonergan (Empathie). The series is co-produced by HBO Max and France Télévisions, with Wild Bunch, Palermo Production, Panache Productions & La Compagnie Cinématographique in Belgium, and Sphere Media in Canada.
“Alice is an ambitious, long-anticipated drama, first announced four years ago,” said Manuel Alduy and Morad Koufane of France Télévisions. “It celebrates the extraordinary journey of a woman who lived many lives —a cinema pioneer, a passionate lover, a mother, and a bold entrepreneur. Her story is as cinematic as the art form she helped create and we want to finally give her the recognition she was denied for over a century.”
Guillaume Le Gros of HBO Max added: “We are proud to partner with France Télévisions, Wild Bunch, and Palermo Production on this deeply human story that brings to light the French pioneer of world cinema long erased from history. Her strength of character, artistic vision, and fierce determination remain profoundly inspiring today. Alice perfectly reflects our commitment to telling universal, powerful and uplifting stories — while partnering with local talent to bring them to audiences worldwide.”
Said producers Grégory Strouk of Wild Bunch and Caroline de Jenlis of Palermo Production: “We’re thrilled to launch the first-ever scripted series on Alice Guy Blaché, the world’s first female filmmaker. Alice is an epic saga diving into the struggles and triumphs of an extraordinary, free-spirited woman who helped shape the birth of cinema. With a powerhouse creative team and a story as bold as it is timeless, Alice is set to inspire and captivate audiences in France and across the globe.”