Donatien Alphonse François, known as the Marquis de Sade, who inspired the character in Quills, was born in Paris, France.
The Marquis de Sade was confined to the Charenton asylum in France due to his controversial and explicit writings and behavior.
The play 'Quills' written by Doug Wright, which inspired the movie, was first performed.
The film 'Quills', directed by Philip Kaufman and starring Geoffrey Rush as the Marquis de Sade, was released.