Brotherhood of the Wolf

Brotherhood of the Wolf (French: Le Pacte des loups) is a 2001 French historical horror-action film directed by Christophe Gans, written by Gans and Stéphane Cabel, starring Samuel Le Bihan, Mark Dacascos, Émilie Dequenne, Monica Bellucci, and Vincent Cassel. The film is loosely based on a real-life series of killings that took place in France in the 18th century and the famous legend of the Beast of Gévaudan; parts of the film were shot at Château de Roquetaillade. The film has several extended swashbuckling fight scenes, with martial arts performances by the cast mixed in, making it unusual for a historical drama. The $29 million-budgeted film was an international box office success, grossing over $70 million in worldwide theatrical release. The film also enjoyed commercial success in the United States; Universal Pictures paid $2 million to acquire the film's US distribution rights and it went on to gross $11,260,096 in limited theatrical release in the United States, making it the second highest-grossing French-language film in the United States since 1980. The film also did brisk video and DVD sales in the United States. It was well-received with critics praising its high production values, cinematography, performances and Gans' atmospheric direction.