Disney has a large collection of movies that are considered classics from its golden era, but Netflix has been dipping into rebooting older series and movies, like “Little House on the Prairie” and “13 Going on 30,” along with creating new animated movies that rival Disney hits, such as “KPop Demon Hunters.”
Now, Netflix has revealed its upcoming live-action version of “The Hunchback of Notre-Dame,” which will be titled “The Hunchback, Soul of Paris.” The working title for the Netflix version of the story was originally “Quasimodo, the Soul of Paris” before being changed.
What We Know about ‘The Hunchback, Soul of Paris’
The first glimpse came from Vanity Fair France and only includes a few bits of information. First, the runtime is going to be an hour and 43 minutes, which means that the live-action movie is going to be a boiled-down version of the Victor Hugo novel that inspired the original Disney movie.
The film will be directed by Jean-François Richet, who was interviewed by Vanity Fair about the movie. He stated that the script follows the theories of Adrian Glew, an archivist who believes that Quasimodo was based on a stone carver Hugo once encountered.
Vincent Cassel takes the role of Quasimodo, while Benjamin Voisin plays a doctor trying to turn Quasimodo into an experiment. Karim Leklou plays the Director of Security, and Daphné Patakia plays a role that has not yet been disclosed, but the image of her in the Vanity Fair France photos of the movie has the essence of Esmeralda.
Fans won’t need to wait long to see Netflix’s rendition of Hugo’s classic work, as “The Hunchback, Soul of Paris” is scheduled to be released for international streaming on November 27, 2026. On a lighter note, viewers can enjoy Netflix’s 2026 Christmas movies prior to watching what will likely be a dark rendition of Quasimodo’s story.
A Quick Overview of Victor Hugo’s ‘The Hunchback of Notre-Dame’
Set in 1400s Paris, “The Hunchback of Notre-Dame” follows the stories of Quasimodo and Esmeralda. Compared to the Disney version, Hugo’s novel is more tragic, and Netflix will likely lean into that tone. The core events of the novel include Quasimodo falling in love with Esmeralda, Esmeralda loving Phoebus, and Frollo loving Esmeralda.
In a fit of jealousy, Frollo attacks Phoebus. Esmeralda is blamed for his death, not knowing that he was alive. Esmeralda falsely confesses to the crime and witchcraft and is sentenced to be burned for it, at which point Quasimodo brings her to Notre-Dame to try to save her. Frollo ruins this attempt by throwing Esmeralda to the angry crowd. In his grief, Quasimodo pushes Frollo from the tower of Notre-Dame.
The core of the novel is the idea of what makes someone a monster. Quasimodo is described as looking physically like a monster, which is why he’s treated like one, but he has the least monstrous heart in the novel. Meanwhile, Frollo has a normal appearance, but his wicked nature gives him the heart of a monster.
Hugo’s story is said to have been about the cathedral itself, which is why it’s so dense with descriptions of the building. He wrote it during a time when the history of Paris through its architecture was at risk of being destroyed and lost. Thanks to the popularity of “The Hunchback of Notre-Dame,” the cathedral and other Gothic buildings were revived, restored, and protected.
