Netflix is heading back to 19th-century Paris for a new take on one of literature’s most famous characters.
Victor Hugo’s The Hunchback of Notre-Dame has inspired countless adaptations over the years, but the story is perhaps best known to modern audiences for Disney’s 1966 animated movie. Often considered one of the studio’s best Renaissance-era films, The Hunchback of Notre Dame took significant liberties with Hugo’s much darker original story, which has long made a faithful live-action adaptation particularly complicated. ScreenRant has previously explored why the original story’s darkness could present a major problem for a Disney live-action remake.
Netflix’s upcoming project, however, won’t be adapting Hugo’s novel directly.
According to Netflix’s Tudum, the movie has officially been titled The Hunchback, Soul of Paris and is set to arrive in fall 2026. The period drama will star Vincent Cassel and is set in Paris on the eve of the July Revolution in 1830. Rather than simply retelling the familiar story, the new movie will reimagine the life of the man said to have inspired Hugo’s iconic character, Quasimodo.
As a cholera epidemic spreads through the city, Cassel’s character becomes caught between political turmoil and an impossible love. Jean-François Richet will direct the movie, which also stars Karim Leklou, Daphné Patakia, Benjamin Voisin, Noémie Lvovsky, Sébastien Pouderoux, Eli Nachmani, and Alexis Rosenstiehl.
The Hunchback, Soul Of Paris Takes A Very Different Approach To The Famous Story
The upcoming Netflix movie has previously been associated with the title Quasimodo, but its new official title better reflects what makes the project different from previous adaptations. Instead of telling Hugo’s story about the bell-ringer of Notre-Dame Cathedral, The Hunchback, Soul of Paris is taking inspiration from the supposed real-life figure behind the character.
That means audiences shouldn’t necessarily expect a straightforward retelling of either Hugo’s novel or Disney’s beloved animated adaptation. The latter remains one of the Disney Renaissance movies ranked among the studio’s best, but its story differs substantially from the source material in both tone and plot.
The Netflix movie appears to be taking an even bigger departure, placing its central character against the backdrop of real historical events. The July Revolution, political unrest, and a cholera epidemic will all play a role in the story, alongside the romance teased in the official synopsis.
The project is also part of a growing slate of ambitious Netflix movies arriving throughout 2026. The streamer already has a packed year ahead, with ScreenRant’s ranking of Netflix’s 2026 original movies highlighting just how much competition The Hunchback, Soul of Paris will have when it arrives.
For now, Netflix has only confirmed a fall 2026 release window, meaning an exact premiere date has yet to be announced. Still, with its official title now revealed and Cassel leading the cast, The Hunchback, Soul of Paris is beginning to take shape as a very different kind of Quasimodo story.
- Release Date
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June 21, 1996
- Runtime
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91minutes
- Director
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Gary Trousdale
- Writers
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Tab Murphy
