Major new drama housed at Bry-sur-Marne

Filming will run until early March 2015 on the lavish production, with a good chunk of the shoot also taking place at the historic palace of Versailles itself, and in the city of Paris and the surrounding area.

The sumptuous drama has a budget of €25m, and is a French/Canadian co-production with 80% of the finance coming from France (Capa and Zodiak) and the rest from Incendo in Canada. Post-production will take place in Canada.

The English-language production comes from showrunners Simon Mirren (Without a Trace) and David Wolstencroft (Spooks); the pair will write at least five of the 10 x 60 episodes while also executive producing.

Jalil Lespert (Yves Saint Laurent) is among four directors lining up to helm the various filming blocks; the production comes from Capa Drama and Zodiak.

"Versailles will explore the mind of Louis XIV who succeeded in imposing himself as a monarch at a very young age, and we'll reveal how the trauma he experienced during the Fronde rebellion shaped his psyche and many of the decisions he took as a leader," said Fabrice de la Patelliere, head of French drama and co-productions at Canal Plus.

For more information on filming in France, go to our production guide.