Studiocanal 30th anniversary presentation: new projects, acquisitions and two films at Cannes Official Selection

With over 30 years' experience in production, distribution and international sales of both Films and premium TV series, Studiocanal is the leading European Studio developing a slate of powerful, often untold stories, that are personal, relatable and above all, universal.  Studiocanal, a 100% affiliate of CANAL+ Group held by Vivendi, owns one of the most important film libraries in the world, boasting nearly 6,000 titles from 60 countries. Spanning 100 years of film history.  

Studiocanal, CEO, Anna Marsh commented: 'It’s such a great feeling to be back on the ground in Cannes for this inaugural Studiocanal event, at a moment where our industry is at a true turning point.  Opportunities are abundant, and as a result, we are entering a phase of acceleration at Studiocanal. As owners of a deep 6000 title library, we have access to an infinite well of European IP and have the capacity to invest in ambitious projects with world-class talent and partners from all horizons. We are a global facing operation with a presence in 4 continents and a top-class team of passionate professionals.  It is our mission to solidify our position as Europe’s number one storyteller in both film and television and to create content that resonates beyond our domestic borders for a worldwide audience'.  

FILMS

Priority film developments for Studiocanal include Paddington 3 which will reunite Studiocanal with multiple award-winning Heyday Films. Marsh exclusively revealed that principal photography will commence Q2, 2022. Director, cast updates and location are currently under wraps. Story by Paddington 1 & 2 collaborators Paul King, Simon Farnaby & Mark Burton and Screenplay by Mark Burton, Jon Foster, & James Lamont (Paddington 1 & 2, The Adventures of Paddington). Paul King will Executive produce the highly anticipated feature.  

In partner with The Picture Company, announced action-comedy Role Play, currently in development with Kaley Cuoco attached to star and produce. The Picture Company’s Andrew Rona and Alex Heineman have produced some of Studiocanal’s biggest hits including Liam Neeson starrers Unknown, Non-Stop & The Commuter.

In addition, Marsh confirms War Magician is set to shoot for Studiocanal in 2022. Colin Trevorrow attached to direct Benedict Cumberbatch in the feature based on the book by David Fisher. E. Nicholas Mariani is writing the script. Fully financed by Studiocanal, War Magician is produced by Landscape Entertainment’s Bob Cooper, SunnyMarch’s Cumberbatch, Adam Ackland, and Leah Clarke, Lonetree’s Tony Eldridge, and Bluestone’s Richard Saperstein. Joining as producers are Trevorrow and his Metronome Films.

In development with Tom Hanks’ production company Playtone, In The Garden Of Beasts is an adaptation of Erik Larson’s non-fiction best-seller optioned by Hanks and Gary Goetzman.  

Shooting for Studiocanal this Autumn, 2021, and with worldwide sales launching at the Cannes market are Studiocanal and Imperative Entertainment’s psychological thriller Cat Person based on the short story by Kristen Roupenian, famously published in The New Yorker in 2017 to worldwide acclaim. Emmy Award Nominated Nicholas Braun (Succession, Zola) and Emilia Jones (Locke & Key, Coda) are confirmed to star. Director Susanna Fogel commented: 'Using Kristen’s excruciatingly well-observed short story about the horrors of dating as the jumping off point for an actual genre film, Cat Person will explore the hellscape of modern romance and the idea that we have all been the villain in someone else’s story, and the victim in others'.  

Studiocanal and The Picture Company’s high-concept horror/thriller Baghead set to shoot in Berlin. Ruby Barker (Bridgerton) and Freya Allen (The Witcher) announced to star. Baghead is adapted from the festival favourite short Baghead directed by Alberto Corredor. Corredor is attached to now direct the feature film.  

Also mentioned the projects: Suddenly (with Tresor Films and Nine Stories); a new film from the franchise Pippi Longstocking (with Heyday Films and the Astrid Lindgren Company); Gunpowder Milkshake 2 (with The Picture Company producers); a sequel to 2019 action thriller Cold Pursuit; Attack The Block 2 (with Film4, Complete Fiction Pictures formed by Nira Park, Joe Cornish and Edgar Wright and John Boyega’s UpperRoom Productions); Evil Dead Rise with Sam Raimi & Bruce Campbell as producers; A Boy Called Christmas (with Blueprint Pictures)

TV 

Studiocanal’s franchise ambition is further demonstrated in TV with a third season of The Adventures Of Paddington currently in development and announced. Distributed by Studiocanal, M6 and Nickelodeon worldwide the Paddington series is a Heyday Films and Studiocanal production in association with Copyrights.  

Marsh confirmed that principal photography has commenced on the eagerly anticipated third season of CANAL+ Creation Originale and The Walt Disney Company’s sci-fi thriller War Of The Worlds, written and created by BAFTA Award-winner Howard Overman (Misfits, Crazyhead, Merlin). 

Announced today is The Blue Hour based on the best-selling book by internationally renowned author Douglas Kennedy. Studiocanal is developing the series in partnership with EDITIS. Douglas Kennedy is published by Belfond (EDITIS Group). 

Also in partnership with Editis, Studiocanal together with Authentic Prod is set to make N.E.O the first young adult saga from French award-winning and best-selling author Michel Bussi. N.E.O is published by Presses de la Cité/PKJ (EDITIS Group). 

Following the success of Midnight Sun and Shadowplay, Studiocanal is developing a new project, Butcher’s Hook, with Swedish award-winning writer & director Måns Mårlind.  

And from Studiocanal’s multiple award-winning RED Productions Marsh announces that Corto Maltese is in development based on the graphic novels by Hugo Pratt regarded as some of the most artistic and literary graphic novels ever written. Best known for his work on Rake, Jack Irish, Hacksaw Ridge & The Water Diviner Australian writer Andrew Knight is attached to develop the script.  

BUSINESS ACQUISITIONS 

Breaking news today included Studiocanal’s acquisition of Lailaps Films Germany. Studiocanal is delighted to welcome producer Nils Dünker along with his production Company Lailaps Films Wild Republic, Hannes, Eine Unerhörte Frau, Spurlos in Marseille, Vorsicht vorLeuten & Beste Aller Welten to the Studiocanal family, further extending the studio’s global footprint in production.  

Dünker and his team are currently in pre-production on Gesicht Der Erinnerung for SWR/ORF; the continuation of the highly successful Ingo Thiel series for ZDF. Additionally, the film adaptation of Rita Falk’s bestseller Hannes co-produced by Lailaps and Studiocanal opens Theatrically in Germany this Autumn.  

Nicolas Loock, Managing Director of Studiocanal TV and Tandem Productions commented: 'Creating and producing high-quality German content is a priority for our group and very important for STUDIOCANAL’s international strategy. We firmly believe that strong TV series and films with German DNA can be very appealing to international audiences. In order to grow further it was important to find the best partner and this collaboration with Nils and his team is the result'.  

Nils Dünker, Managing Director and Executive Producer Lailaps Films added: 'We are very happy about the trust Studiocanal has placed in us and that we are able to launch even more high-quality feature film and TV series projects with such a strong partner. This partnership makes us one of the leading European film production and distribution companies. In times of rising budgets and increasingly complex production logistics, we couldn’t imagine a more competent and capable partner for the exciting projects ahead'.

Studiocanal holds a majority stake acquisition in London based Urban Myth Films set up by International Emmy award-winning producers Johnny Capps and Julian Murphy, and BAFTA award-winning writer Howard Overman (Misfits). Urban Myth Films were the first British production company to produce a Creation Originale for CANAL+, War Of The Worlds, currently in its third season. Other notable credits include six-part true crime drama A Confession written by Jeff Pope for ITV and starring Martin Freeman. Gripping eight-part drama series The One written and created by Howard Overman for Netflix and Extinction created by writer Joe Barton (Giri/Haji) and directed by internationally acclaimed director Marco Kreutzpaintner (Beat) for SKY. 

CANNES 

Studiocanal has two films in this year’s Cannes Official Selection. Bac Nord directed by Cédric Jimenez, a high-octane action thriller starring Gilles Lellouche and François Civil. The film will premiere in theatres in France on August 18th.  Jimenez is currently in production for Studiocanal on novembre starring Jean Dujardin, releasing in 2022.   

And De Son Vivant directed by Emmanuelle Bercot starring Catherine Deneuve and Benoit Magimel. The film tells the moving story of a mother and son dealing with terminal illness. A son in denial, a mother facing the unbearable. The film will premiere in theatres in France on November 24th . Studiocanal last worked with Bercot on Mon Roi where she won best actress at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival.  

Studiocanal is thrilled to premiere the ground-breaking 4K restoration of David Lynch ’s cult masterpiece Mulholland Drive as part of the 2021 Cannes Classics Official Selection. This restoration has been supervised by David Lynch with the support of Studiocanal and Criterion.