Publication date: April 9, 2026, 17:15 – Last updated: April 9, 2026, 17:45
A exceptional auction started on Thursday morning, April 9, in Paris, which will remind many spectators of an entire era. The hidden treasures of René Chateau, a cinema legend who passed away two years ago, are up for auction. Known as the “king of VHS” and a friend of Jean-Paul Belmondo, he dedicated his life to cinema.
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A dense crowd and skyrocketing prices from this morning, Thursday, April 9, for the largest collection dedicated to French cinema. Posters, photos, promotional items… Nearly 700 lots that belonged to the film distributor René Chateau, the king of VHS. A name that evokes memories among cinephiles: “It started with VHS, then DVDs”, recalls a buyer who came for the occasion. “For several decades, he represented the distribution of Bruce Lee in France, he was associated with Bébel…”, remembers another enthusiast. Another person adds: “René Chateau was the first to distribute absolutely legendary horror films in France, including ‘The Texas Chainsaw Massacre’, ‘Zombie’, ‘Maniac’, and things like that.”
In the 1970s, the young distributor focused on a Chinese actor, Bruce Lee. He imported his films to France, and the success was immediate: “Bruce Lee, with a real grace in his fighting style, transformed the films, making them, let’s say, little masterpieces. People as talented as him, I have never seen again”, René Chateau stated at the time.
A true promoter of popular cinema. At the same time, René Chateau partnered with Jean-Paul Belmondo. He promoted some of his films and turned his name into a commercial commodity: “It’s a brand image, and it’s a product, let’s say, a cinematic product that he established and succeeded with, because back then you went to see a Belmondo film without saying ‘I’m going to see a Jean-Paul Belmondo film’“, highlights Christophe Goery, expert in the sale – Millon.
René Chateau, a businessman who dedicated his life to cinema. Some of his posters could fetch record prices today.
