Samuel Goldwyn Films Releases Two-Part De Gaulle Epic

American viewers can now watch the two-part World War II epic "De Gaulle" in theaters in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C. The films also launched on transactional video on demand for nationwide access. This hybrid strategy aims to accommodate the installments' substantial running times, which exceed two and a half hours each. The first film, "De Gaulle: Resistance," debuted in the United States on Saturday at the American French Film Festival in Los Angeles. A packed audience at the DGA Theater watched both parts back-to-back and responded with a seven-minute standing ovation.

The production, which cost €74 million to make, stars Simon Abkarian as Charles de Gaulle. Simon Russell Beale portrays Winston Churchill, and Campbell Scott plays Franklin D. Roosevelt. Pathé previously produced "The Count of Monte Cristo" and the two-part "The Three Musketeers," both of which Samuel Goldwyn Films distributed in the United States. After a modest start in France, the films gained momentum through word of mouth. They sold more than six million tickets domestically and currently rank as the year's highest-grossing French-language film in the United Kingdom.

Peter Goldwyn, speaking to Variety at the festival, noted that the war setting provides a familiar entry point for American viewers. He stated that De Gaulle's story offers material less widely known to the public. Goldwyn described the production as having the scale of a Hollywood blockbuster while maintaining a focus on character. He explained that the French dialogue complicates efforts to secure a large theatrical footprint. Pairing cinemas with digital access gives audiences more opportunities to discover the lengthy films in a market where theaters have limited time for word of mouth to develop.

The second installment, "De Gaulle: Liberty," is scheduled for release in early December. A shared marketing campaign targets history enthusiasts, schools, and cultural institutions. Social media outreach also aims to reach younger viewers. Goldwyn said the films' running times restrict the number of daily theatrical screenings, making wider digital access useful for building an audience. Light Films has acquired the epic for China, with a release planned for late November.

Director Antonin Baudry and co-screenwriter Bérénice Vila consulted more than 150 books and historical archives. They traced De Gaulle's rise from a little-known officer in 1940 and explored his relationships with Churchill and Roosevelt. The films examine disagreements among the leaders that Baudry believes remain unfamiliar to much of the public. To verify the story worked for viewers without prior historical knowledge, Baudry held early screenings for young students outside academic circles.

Simon Abkarian prepared for the role over roughly six months. He repeatedly studied the screenplay and copied all his dialogue into a notebook carried during the 150-day shoot. Working with Baudry on recordings of De Gaulle's speeches helped the actor explore the leader's vocal rhythms. Abkarian sought a balance that would evoke the man without slipping into caricature. He suggested that De Gaulle's defiance and democratic convictions could resonate with American viewers. Goldwyn emphasized the general's patriotism, telling Variety: "It’s a story of an ally."