First Glimpse of Pascal Plante’s Red Rooms Sequel King’s Daughters Featuring Sandrine Bonnaire

      Red Rooms was not the debut film of Pascal Plante, but it certainly marked a significant arrival for him. Emerging seemingly out of nowhere, the film quickly put the Québécois director on our radar. We assigned it a relatively high grade at the time, and it ultimately secured a spot on our list of the best and most overlooked titles of 2024, which is a notable endorsement from this publication.

      We are thrilled to learn that Plante is deep into production of his next film, King’s Daughters. We’re even more excited that it features the iconic Sandrine Bonnaire, who heads a cast that includes Laurie Babin (from Red Rooms), Lauréna Thellier (from Slack Bay), Zoé Adjani, and Marguerite Champoux. Variety has labeled the film a “historical survival drama infused with folk-horror elements.” WTFilms has acquired worldwide rights to the project, which is set in part during “the cursed transatlantic journey of the first group of orphan virgins sent by King Louis XIV to be married off in his struggling colony of New France, now known as Quebec.” Their 111-day voyage is beset by “promiscuity, disease, a superstitious crew, famine, vermin, apathy, and death,” for those who found the social and moral decay depicted in Red Rooms too mild. However, producers Dominique Dussault, Stephanie Morissette, and Caroline Bonmarchand suggest a more uplifting narrative: “a story of survival, oppression, and resilience that will resonate deeply with modern audiences.”

      From its early stages, the 1663-set King’s Daughters appears to be a much more ambitious endeavor: filming commenced this spring in Montreal and will continue next month in France. A release is expected in 2027, placing it at the forefront of next year’s priorities.

      Take a look at the first glimpse below: