Erotic film ‘Emmanuelle’ has a new protagonist: who is Noémie Merlant?

Noémie Merlant is the name chosen to play the protagonist of “Emmanuelle” in the new phase of the soft porn film franchise that was successful in Brazil in the 1990s. Merlant is French, is 34 years old, and has a long career in cinema, having acted in features such as “Tár” (2023), “Paris, 13th district” (2022), “Jumbo” (2022) and “Curosa” (2020), as well as “Portraits of a young woman on fire” (2019).

Merlant replaces actress Léa Seydoux in the role that was also played by Sylvia Kristel and Krista Allen — the latter, better known to the Brazilian public. There is still no forecast for the launch of the new phase of “Emmanuelle” with Noémie Merlant in the lead role.

The series of films “Emmanuelle” is inspired by the erotic romance books written by the Thai naturalized French Emmanuelle Arsan (1932-2005), taken to cinemas between the 1970s and 1990s. For years, the franchise was shown at dawn on Brazilian TV at the extinct Cine Band Privé, on TV Bandeirantes.