What is Emmanuelle, the new erotic film set in Hong Kong? The latest instalment of the 1970s French series stars Noémie Merlant, Naomi Watts and Will Sharpe
The original starred actress Sylvia Kristel and was reportedly one of the most successful pornographic films in history; this reboot is co-written by Audrey Diwan and Rebecca Zlotowski
The series of films was inspired by the 1967 erotic novel Emmanuelle by Emmanuelle Arsan, a first-person account of a French woman’s promiscuous adventures. Sylvia Kristel played the lead in the first instalment and has since reprised the role many times. This coming film featuring Hong Kong will star Noémie Merlant.
The first movie was released in 1974, selling 8.89 million tickets locally and becoming one of the most successful pornographic films in history, per The Connexion. In total, over a dozen theatrical and TV films under the series were released.
The film received attention worldwide, inspiring works including Emmanuelle in Space and Emmanuelle in Soho, which were an American and British production, respectively.
How does Emmanuelle (2024) update the OG 1974 version?
Director Audrey Diwan – who won a Gold Lion for her film Happening, based on Annie Ernaux’s memoir – is at the helm of this latest Emmanuelle. She co-wrote the film with Rebecca Zlotowski, who won the Francois Chalais Award at Cannes for her 2013 film Grand Central. The French director screened the film at this year’s 72nd San Sebastián International Film Festival, which kicked off last week and ends on September 28.
Ahead of her involvement, it was revealed that she read the original novel at the suggestion of her producers. “In our society, which is devoured by images of violent pornography, which have the will to say everything, to show everything, I wondered if an erotic film could exist and why it would be interesting,” Diwan shared in an interview with the French edition of Vanity Fair.
