by Alex Billington
April 23, 2026
Source: YouTube
“One battle will seal our fate. You will lead it.” France’s Pathe has unveiled their main official trailer for the two De Gaulle movies, retelling the story of iconic French president Charles de Gaulle. Yes – the same man that the Paris airport is named after. French filmmaker Antonin Baudry directs two back-to-back movies called De Gaulle: Tilting Iron & De Gaulle: The Sovereign Edge which will arrive in French theaters this summer – in June & July. It’s premiering first at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival, obviously, before the French release. A two-part story of the French general & statesman who led the Free French Forces against Nazi Germany & Vichy France in WWII and chaired the Provisional Government of the French Republic from 1944 to 1946 to restore democracy in France. The two movies follow De Gaulle’s life initially between 1940 and 1945, then trace his march towards his political career. Featuring Simon Abkarian as Charles, with an ensemble cast including Simon Russell Beale, Florian Lesieur, Benoît Magimel, Mathieu Kassovitz, Loïc Corbery de la Comédie-Française, Anamaria Vartolomei, Niels Schneider, Félix Kysyl, & Karim Leklou. It looks a bit too staunchly bureaucratic to be entirely entertaining, but still might be worth a watch anyway.
Here’s the main official trailer (+ poster) for Antonin Baudry’s De Gaulle movies, direct from YouTube:
You can watch the initial teaser trailer for Antonin Baudry’s De Gaulle films right here for the first look.
June, 1940. France collapses and signs the armistice. In the midst of the chaos, one man refuses to give up. Alone against the odds, this unknown general flees to London to save what remains of freedom. Without an army, without backing, without hope. But with one irrational conviction – France, his France, has not laid down arms. Taking the ultimate gamble, he seeks to convince the world that the battle for France is neither over, nor lost. Reality, however, is unyielding and seems determined to prove him wrong. Yet, little by little, resistance fighters, rebellious students and determined soldiers rise up in England, France and Africa to join the cause. Their faith, audacity and thirst for freedom defy what history seemed to have written in advance. De Gaulle: Tilting Iron & De Gaulle: The Sovereign Edge aka La Bataille de Gaulle: L’âge de fer & La Bataille de Gaulle: J’écris ton nom (in French) are both directed by French filmmaker Antonin Baudry, following his feature directorial debut The Wolf’s Call in 2019. The scripts are written by Bérénice Vila and Antonin Baudry. Based on the book De Gaulle: A Certain Idea of France from Julian Jackson. Produced by Axelle Boucaï & Pathe. Pathe will debut De Gaulle: Tilting Iron in French cinemas on June 10th, 2026 + The Sovereign Edge on July 3rd, 2026 in the summer. Anyone want to watch these?
