Pierre Vidal

Pierre Vidal
Created by	Élie Duhamel
Original work	The Man from Kurwai (1958 novel)
Owner	Cosmo, LLC
Years	1958-Present
Print publications
Novel(s)	11 original (1958-79), various authorized spinoffs
Graphic novel(s)	Several
Comic strip(s)	The Adventures of Pierre Vidal (1971-85), Pierre Vidal (1998-2010)
Films and television
Film(s)	16 (1966-Present)
Animated series	The Young Pierre Vidal Adventures (2014-2017)
Games
Role-playing	Phoenix Bureau: Adventures in Pierre Vidal's World of Espionage and Danger (2003)
Video game(s)	Various

The Pierre Vidal franchise is a Laeralian novel and film series centering on the eponymous secret agent, created originally by author Élie Duhamel. Since the publication of the 1958 novel "The Man from Kurwai," the franchise has included a total of 11 novels written by Duhamel before his death as well as nearly two dozen authorized sequels and spin-off novels by various authors. The film franchise, which began with 1966's film adaptation of the initial novel, has seen international success and includes a total of nineteen films, which have generally received favorable reviews from critics.

The franchise centers on Laeralian secret agent Pierre Vidal, initially an operative of the Laeralian Bureau of External Action and later the fictional international intelligence agency Phoenix Bureau. Central elements of installments of the franchise typically include death-defying stunts, advanced gadgetry and gear, megalomaniacal villains, exotic settings, and Vidal's romances with various women.

Fictional Character Biography

As established in the original novels, Pierre Vidal is of a Laeralian Metice background and raised in luxury, before becoming a soldier of the elite Republican Guard Laeralian military organization. After being forcibly discharged from the unit due to the manipulations of a jealous rival officer, Vidal was recruited to join the Bureau of External Action (BEA), the Laeralian secret intelligence agency. In this capacity, Vidal works on behalf of the Laeralian government as a secret agent to thwart criminal and rival state activities. Beginning with the 2001 film The Novellan Gambit, Vidal becomes an agent of the elite international "Phoenix Bureau."

Notable Installments

The Man from Kurwai (1958 novel, 1966 film)

The initial installment of the series followed Vidal's mission to retrieve a Daryan general intent upon defecting to Laeral while evading rival agents of Daryan intelligence. The 1966 film version, produced with government backing during the Great War, was a tremendous commercial success and catapulted star Benoît Lecombe to stardom.

Eyes of the Watchtower (1959 novel, 1968 film)

Alongside Liennese partner Forrest Kim, Vidal confronts a High Fellsian-backed terrorist organization aiming to incite revolt and trigger a massive flood in Lienne, at the time of the novel's writing an unrecognized state allied with Laeral.

Ace in the Hole (1961 novel, 1990 film)

Originally written about Vidal infiltrating into Juan Costa-era Slokais Islands, the film was only in initial production when the Costa regime collapsed leaving the film abandoned. Eventually, the film was re-started in 1986, with the assistance of Harvest Studios, a Slokasian company. In the film, Vidal is tasked with infiltrating an illegal gambling organization in San Fernando which eventually leads to him discovering a plot to rob the National Bank of Slokais and destabilize the economy. Vidal teams up with several local agents including Elia Moreno (Augustina Vallas), a Slokasian National Intelligence Bureau (SNIB) agent and Vidal's love interest to stop the plot. The film is credited for elevating several Slokasian actors to greater stardom such as Vallas and male co-star Daniel Wong (Albert Chong-Ke).

Burn After Reading (1963 novel, 1972 film)

A mysterious blackmailer known only as "The Devil" has terrorized high society across three continents with his deep knowledge of horrific secrets. While protecting an influential heiress, Vidal must also track down the blackmailer.

No Greater Calling (1966 book, 1975 film)

An old comrade of Vidal's from his service in the Republican Guard turns on his fellow soldiers in a bizarre fit of rage. Sent to investigate, Vidal uncovers a crime lord's conspiracy to bring Laeral to its knees by introducing a psychosis-inducing drug into his flour company's products in order to incite chaos and racial unrest. Marking a sudden shift in tone from prior Vidal novels, No Greater Calling is believed to be author Élie Duhamel's reaction to the seemingly senseless unrest of the Emergency Period.

The Tlālacuetztla Rules (1967 novel, 1979 film)

A high-stakes gambling tournament in the Xiomeran capital of Tlalacuetztla serves as an opportunity to capture a notorious and elusive Xiomeran arms dealer. Pierre Vidal must go undercover in order to capture his quarry.

The Hatchet Man (1969 novel, 1983 film)

After a mission in Lehvant goes awry due to a mole within the BEA's ranks, an injured Vidal, believed dead by the BEA, must track down the other three agents on the mission to discern which of them was responsible for the betrayal.

Banshee Strike (1979 novel, 1989 film)

Vidal investigates the disappearance of a Laeralian nuclear warhead, traveling to a black-market arms auction in Pharitaya and infiltrating a dastardly villain's undersea base off the coast of Milintica. This was the last Pierre Vidal novel written by Élie Duhamel; subsequent films were based either on Duhamel's Vidal short stories or on original scripts.

Blood and Pearl (2005 film)

The mysterious death of a Serrielan industrialist while attending a business conference in Laeralsford leads Pierre Vidal to investigate the killing and track down the assassin.

The Black Fan (2007 film)

Vidal heads to Seimei, Misumi after hearing rumors of a shadowy Sansongian organization known as the Black Fan, which is smuggling chips to build a computer capable of manipulating anyone who accesses the internet. Vidal teams up with the former army ranger Takao Shibata and a Mizu spy (and Vidal's love interest) only known as Kazuyo. They track the organization down to its remote hideout in the Sansongian Shimo Mountains, where a standoff occurs.

Scarlet Coterie (2010 film)

A vacation on the Aurian coast takes a turn when Vidal stumbles upon a criminal organization called the Red Ring ran by a Rekē dei Jur that has been utilizing blackmail to influence the Aurian government. With the help of exiled Eirian Lunar Guard agent Amalija Volkova, Vidal must track down the conspirators and work out a plan to take down the ring once and for all.

Lone Wolf (2012 film)

Pierre Vidal receives word that his lover Amalija Volkova, believed dead after the events of 2010's Scarlet Coterie, has resurfaced, supposedly under the clutches of the Darrin regime in Eiria. Vidal embarks on a risky mission to Eiria yet must struggle with his aging body and growing trauma.

Sudden Death (2015 film)

The finale of the Coterie trilogy, Sudden Death begins in downtown Suyang, Haesan, with Vidal hunting down a remnant leader of the Red Ring. In a crowded marketplace, Vidal believes he has an open shot, but due to his age, a twitch in his wrist leads to the bullet killing an innocent civilian. Vidal is arrested, tried, and sentenced to the death penalty for homicide with aggravating factors. While on death row, Vidal receives a cryptic message describing how help will arrive, and a jailbreak is staged. Ultimately, it was the Haesanite SIS who freed Vidal, who promise to grant him freedom if he fulfills one last mission. Showing Vidal video footage of members of his own Phoenix Bureau team coordinating with the remnants of the Red Ring, the agents explain that the future of the IDU is at stake, and that only he can take down the looming threat. Vidal returns to his HQ in Laeral, with doubt in his own abilities, his team, and his mission, for what would be the biggest test of his life.