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 (1987) |
| 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 sixteen 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.
Franchise Origins
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.