The Cité du Cinéma or Studios of Paris is a film studio complex originally supported and founded by the film director and producer Luc Besson, located in Saint-Denis, in the northern suburbs of Paris, in a renovated power plant, commissioned in 1933 to power the Parisian metro.[1] The studio complex is intended to be a competitor of Cinecittà in Rome, Pinewood in London and Babelsberg in Berlin. It was inaugurated on 21 September 2012. In February 2022 Tunisian-French film producer Tarak Ben Ammar finalized a deal to purchase Studios de Paris.[2]
The facility was originally designed in 2000 by Luc Besson. The project was officially launched in 2004, and required several months of technical specifications and financial structures. The project is now supported by major companies in the film and television production sector (film development, lighting, make-up etc.)
This should strengthen the role of cluster-image Plaine Commune with its fifty television studios (including the Plaine Saint-Denis), and 14 movie sets (in Epinay-sur-Seine, Aubervilliers, Stains and Saint-Ouen).
The Cité du Cinéma was originally set to open in May 2012 in accordance with the 2012 Cannes Film Festival. After some minor delays it did finally open its doors on Friday, September 21, 2012 in the presence of many international movie stars and public figures (Dianna Agron, Tarak Ben Ammar, Samuel Benchetrit, Luc Besson, Carole Bouquet, Clotilde Courau, Mireille Darc, Robert De Niro, Jamel Debbouze, Virginie Efira, Pascal Elbé, Mylène Farmer, Marina Foïs, Whoopi Goldberg, Salma Hayek, Jimmy Jean-Louis, Gérard Krawczyk, Christopher Lambert, Jack Lang, Mélanie Laurent, Virginie Ledoyen, Tommy Lee Jones, Gilles Lellouche, Benoît Magimel, Sophie Marceau, Kad Merad, Géraldine Nakache, Michelle Pfeiffer, Jean Reno, Jean-Paul Rouve, Ludivine Sagnier, Marie Sara, Éric Serra, Virginie Silla, Laura Smet, Melissa Theuriau, Jean Todt, Michelle Yeoh, Elsa Zylberstein). On the occasion of the inauguration, a short film on the construction of the complex was shown to the visiting guests.
In December 2013, the Parquet de Paris opened a preliminary investigation about the public financement of the Cité du cinéma.[3] [4]
In February 2022 it was announced that producer Tarak Ben Ammar had finalized his acquisition of the Studios of Paris, the deal is estimated in the $35-million range. Ben Ammar, who co-founded the Studios with Luc Besson a decade ago and owned a 25-percent stake in it, completed the acquisition via Eagle Pictures France, a subsidiary of the Italian production and distribution powerhouse. Ben Ammar took full ownership of the Studios from the former shareholders, including Besson, who owned a 9.9% stake in the complex through his holding company Frontline. The other shareholders who are set to exit the studios are EuropaCorp, Besson's former production banner which is now mainly owned by Vine Alternative and has a 40% stake in the property, as well as Euromedia, a broadcast facilities provider who has a 25% stake. Other bidders who circled the Studios include U.S. funds such as Oaktree Capital Management and TPG Real Estate.[5]
The complex was used as part of the athlete's village during the 2024 Summer Olympics[6]
In May 2013, the blogger Garance Doré made a report on the École de la Cité, founded by Luc Besson, whose holding Kering is a partner.
May 22, 2013, the Cité du Cinéma welcomes former United States President Bill Clinton for "30 years of the discovery of AIDS." For this event organized by UNITAID, more than 400 public officials were invited (Nikos Aliagas, Cécilia Attias, François Bayrou, Yamina Benguigui, Luc Besson, Carole Bouquet, Philippe Douste-Blazy, Nolwenn Leroy, Pierre Moscovici, Pascal Nègre, Dominique Ouattara, Christiane Taubira, Valérie Trierweiler) and were gathered in the nave for dinner.
October 3, 2013, the Cité du Cinéma hosted 130 attendants for the launch of its "movie nights", the first in a planned series of similar evenings with a specific theme. The theme of the inaugural event was Bollywood.
October 10, 2013, the VIP restaurant Le B.O. was inaugurated in the presence of many public figures (Luc Besson, Nader Boussandel, Emma Colberti, Vanessa Demouy, Dominique Farrugia, Xavier Giannoli, Philippe Gildas, Vahina Giocante, Tewfik Jallab, Scarlett Johansson, Hande Kodja, Henri Leconte, Philippe Lellouche, Mathias Malzieu, Caterina Murino, Virginie Silla, Alain Terzian, Ariel Zeitoun).
December 6, 2013, the FIA hosted its annual gala : The FIA Prize Giving 2013. 800 people attended in the presence of Luc Besson and Jean Todt, and many personalities from the world of motorsport : Sébastien Loeb, Alain Prost, Loïc Duval, Sebastian Vettel, Sébastien Ogier, Fernando Alonso, Mark Webber, Allan McNish, Tom Kristensen, Yvan Muller and Robert Kubica.
From February 15 – October 5, 2014, the Star Wars Identities exhibition could be found in two studio areas, roughly 2,000 m2 And included over 200 original pieces from the archives of the Lucas Arts Museum, including models, props, costumes, sketches that built the universe Star Wars of George Lucas.[7]
Starting on April 4 – September 6, 2015, the Harry Potter exhibition takes place in parts of the studio area. Film sets, original costumes and creatures from the films based on J. K. Rowling novels will be on display.
Starting on April 13 – September 2, 2018, the Jurassic World exhibition takes place in parts of the studio area. Original creatures from the films based on Michael Crichton novels will be on display.