The Battle of Gaulle: The Iron Age, the first installment in Antonin Baudry's historical diptych, has been selected Out of Competition at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival. Written with Bérénice Vila and led by Simon Abkarian in the role of Charles de Gaulle, the film hits cinemas on June 3, 2026. The second installment, The Battle of Gaulle: I Write Your Name, will follow on July 3, 2026.
The Battle of Gaulle: The Iron Age
Film | 2026
Release in theaters: June 3, 2026
Historical, Thriller | Running time: not announced yet
From Antonin Baudry | Screenplay: Bérénice Vila | Starring Simon Abkarian, Simon Russell Beale, Florian Lesieur
Nationality: France
Out of Competition – Cannes Film Festival 2026
June 1940. As France signs the armistice, a little-known general refuses to accept defeat and slips out of the country to reach London. With no army and no political backing, Charles de Gaulle makes the case that the battle of France is neither over nor lost. Facing skepticism from the Allies and the hostility of the Vichy regime, he sets out to unite the quiet resistors, dissident soldiers, and civilians committed to the cause—across England, France, and Africa.
Simon Abkarian brings de Gaulle to life in a cast that also features Simon Russell Beale as Churchill, Benoît Magimel, Mathieu Kassovitz, Anamaria Vartolomei, Niels Schneider, Karim Leklou and Thierry Lhermitte. The film is adapted from the reference work De Gaulle: a Defining Idea of France by historian Julian Jackson.
With this first installment, Antonin Baudry — whose previous feature was Le Chant du loup — unfolds a narrative centered on a man’s isolation and resolve in the face of a History that seemed already written. The two-film format, produced and distributed by Pathé, allows us to explore both the personal dimension of General de Gaulle and the collective rise of Free France.
To extend the in-theater experience, check out the June movie releases, the films to watch right now, and our selection of the year's historical films.
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