Millenium Films to bring us The Three Musketeers

Remakes are popular lately but there is a wealth of stories that you don’t have to pay royalties to its originator to take advantage of the familiar stories. Public Domain is a term that means the copyright has expired on a story, and for Hollywood that means fair game. The latest story to fall into this category which Millenium Films will make into a feature is The Three Musketeers.

Variety says:

Millennium Films is going back to the 1600s to take a stab at Alexandre Dumas’ enduring tale of “The Three Musketeers.”New pic will trace how swordsmen Athos, Porthos and Aramis first banded together.

A little over a month ago I wrote an article about Disney’s Three Musketeers and what I pretend is its sequel, UA’s Man in the Iron Mask. It is no secret that I love that genre of adventure film that takes place in a time of swashbuckling honourable heroes and political intrigue.

But one thing that always bothered me about the adaptations of the Three Musketeers is that there are always FOUR Musketeers. Clearly the most popular story to write about is the introduction of young D’Artagnan, the hero that becomes the greatest of the Musketeers.

Man in the Iron Mask broke this format addressing a later adventure of the Musketeers, but there still really is Four of them. But then its not called Three Musketeers anyways. So I am actually looking forward to seeing a prequel of sorts. I would love to see the story about how these Three formed their lifelong bond and perhaps seeing D’Artagnan Senior in his heroic tale.

D’Artagnan Sr was a respected Musketeer who they imply was an inspiration to the trio we are familiar with, who gave his life in service to protect the King. Later D’Artagnan is inspired by the three who grew into their own shoulder to shoulder with his father. Inspiration and family honour are strong themes in Dumas’ novels.

Perhaps if this stays as true to the Dumas novels as the other movies tended to be, this will tie in with my other two chapters and I can then pretend this is a trilogy!

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3 thoughts on “Millenium Films to bring us The Three Musketeers

  1. Annie… not only did I read “the book”, but I managed to sound out the words in all three of the Musketeer novels known in literary circles as the D’Artagnan Romances.

    So yes, I get it. And the book is inevitably about D’Artagnan, the Fourth Musketeer.

  2. “But one thing that always bothered me about the adaptations of the Three Musketeers is that there are always FOUR Musketeers. Clearly the most popular story to write about is the introduction of young D’Artagnan, the hero that becomes the greatest of the Musketeers?”

    Have you read the book!? If so, read it again…
    It’s called the Three Musketeers because they are THREE – Although D’Artagnan is the main character, we see him from the beginning and he follows the three others almost everywhere; he becomes a musketeer only in the second half of the novel.

    I agree though that in most adaptations he becomes a musketeer too quickly, and I admit I’d like to know how the three others met and become such close friends.

    Being a fan of Dumas and mostly of the Musketeers, I’m always disappointed by adaptations; I’m afraid I will this time too

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