By Pat Saperstein

According To The variety The Count of Monte Cristo,” one of four films on France’s shortlist for the country’s official submission to the Academy Awards, will open on Dec. 20 in U.S. theaters. Samuel Goldwyn Films plans to campaign the three-hour adventure drama in all categories including best picture, with the release to roll out nationwide after its bow.

In the classic Alexandre Dumas story, Pierre Niney stars as young Edmond Dantès, who is arrested on his wedding day for a crime he did not commit. After 14 years in the island prison of Château d’If, he makes a daring escape and assumes the identity of the Count of Monte Cristo, taking revenge on the three men who betrayed him.

Alexandre de La Patellière and Matthieu Delaporte wrote and directed the film, which co-stars Anaïs Demoustier and Anamaria Vartolemei.

The Count of Monte Cristo” premiered at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, where it received a lengthy standing ovation and positive reviews. It will make its U.S. premiere at the Hamptons International Film Festival and then play events including the American French Film Festival in Los Angeles.

Currently sitting at 100% on Rotten Tomatoes, “The Count of Monte Cristo” has sold more than 8 million tickets in France and grossed over $75 so far internationally, with most major markets still to come.

Variety‘s Peter Debruge called it “timeless and thrillingly new,” writing in his review, “Executed with all the panache of golden-era Hollywood epics, the movie seems newly relevant in a time of internecine conflicts and political grudge matches, reinforcing how everyone loses when injured parties focus their energy on getting even.”