StudioCanal explained

Studiocanal S.A.S.
Type:Subsidiary (Société par actions simplifiée)
Former Names:Canal+ Production (1984–1990)
Le Studio Canal+ (1990–2000)
Canal+ D.A. (1992–2000)
Founder:Pierre Lescure
Location City:Paris, France
Key People:Maxime Saada (Chairman)
Anna Marsh (CEO)
Area Served:Afro-Eurasia
Oceania
Industry:Filmmaking
Film distribution
Owner:Vivendi
Parent:Canal+ Group
Divisions:
  • StudioCanal Australia
  • StudioCanal GmbH
  • StudioCanal Original
  • StudioCanal Stories
  • StudioCanal UK

Studiocanal S.A.S.[1] (formerly known as Le Studio Canal+, Canal Plus, Canal+ Distribution, Canal+ D.A., and Canal+ Production), often stylized as StudioCanal and also known as StudioCanal International, is a French film production and distribution company. The company is a subsidiary of the Canal+ Group, owned by Vivendi. the company has 14 production companies in Europe and the US, and holds around 9,000 titles in its extensive film library.

History

On 1 January 1987, Canal+ Productions was founded as a cinema film co-production subsidiary of the cable channel which had been established in November 1984, Canal+. The subscription channel was co-founded by André Rousselet and Pierre Lescure.[2] [3] This was to reduce Canal+'s dependence on the American major studios by building its own library that the pay-TV channel could use on their own channels and internationally.[4]

By December 1990, Canal+ Productions rebranded to Le Studio Canal+, and released its first film, The Double Life of Veronique, by Krzysztof Kieslowski.[3] By the early 1990s, it became apparent that Canal+ was a major contributor to the French film industry, with its obligation to spend 10% of its income on French-made films, as well as being Europe's largest buyer of American film rights.[4] Canal+ also made investments in other companies. In 1991 it bought a five percent stake in the independent American studio Carolco Pictures.[4] However, in 1992, Le Studio Canal+ suffered financial difficulties after Carolco Pictures entered a corporate restructure.

StudioCanal's most notable productions from its early years include , JFK, Basic Instinct, Cliffhanger, Under Siege, Free Willy, and the original Stargate movie. In those days, it was known as either Le Studio Canal+ or simply Canal+.

Other films the company financed include U-571, Bully, and Bridget Jones's Diary. StudioCanal also funded the last third of David Lynch's film Mulholland Drive. StudioCanal also financed French-language films, such as Brotherhood of the Wolf (which became the sixth-highest-grossing French-language film of all time in the United States) and Intimate Strangers. Films such as Terminator 2: Judgment Day which grossed US$519 million, Basic Instinct which grossed US$352 million and The Tourist which grossed US$278 million worldwide, have been big box-office hits for StudioCanal.[5] [6] [7]

In January 1996, Le Studio Canal+ made a $56 million bid for Carolco Pictures' library. 20th Century Fox, which had originally agreed to buy the library for $50 million, had dropped their bid to $47.5 million and ultimately dropped out of contention, making this acquisition Canal+'s first foray into library acquisitions.[8] [9]

Le Studio Canal+'s original plan was to build a pan-European distribution network. They made their first known acquisition into a foreign market in 1997 when they bought a 20% minority stake in Germany's Tobis Film; they would later increase the stake to 60% in February 2000, renaming the company Tobis StudioCanal.[10]

On 1 December 1998, all of Canal+ film, television, music, video production activities, etc., were grouped into a new entity, Canal+ Image, which was rebranded as StudioCanal in 2000.[3]

In July 2001, StudioCanal acquired a 45% stake in the Sogepaq division of Spain's Sogecable (Vivendi Universal owned 21% of Sogecable at the time) for $36.2 million, also giving the company a 73% controlling stake in its Spanish subsidiary StudioCanal España and a minority stake in the joint venture Warner Sogefilms.[11] [12] [13] In October 2002, StudioCanal and BAC Majestic parted ways, terms of the deal included the sale of Mars Distribution to StudioCanal; the joint venture BAC Distribution, majority owned by StudioCanal, would shut down and revert to BAC Majestic.[14]

However, staff departures and its parent Vivendi Universal's debt forced StudioCanal to gradually sell off their interests in these companies:

Three years later, StudioCanal re-entered the international market by acquiring film distributor Optimum Releasing in May 2006 as their first expansion into the United Kingdom, releasing their British film and television catalogue, including the EMI Films library, through the newly acquired company.[20] A year later, Optimum Home Entertainment and Lionsgate UK acquired Elevation Sales, a home entertainment sales and distribution company.[21] [22] In January 2008, StudioCanal entered their second expansion into the international market with the acquisition of German-based film independent distributor Kinowelt, which had distributed StudioCanal's films there until then, marking a re-entry for StudioCanal into the German market.[23] [3] Kinowelt also owned the DVD label Arthaus. Both Optimum Releasing and Kinowelt have since been merged into StudioCanal and rebranded as StudioCanal UK and StudioCanal GmbH respectively.[24]

In January 2012, StudioCanal expanded its European operations by acquiring a majority stake in Munich-based producer and distributor Tandem Productions, marking the company's first major move into television production; it would buy out the company's remaining shares in May 2020.[25] [26]

In April 2012, StudioCanal announced its acquisition of the Australian and New Zealand independent film distributor Hoyts Distribution from Hoyts, marking StudioCanal's first acquisition outside of Europe. The following April, Hoyts Distribution was rebranded under the StudioCanal banner.[27]

In December 2013, StudioCanal announced its acquisition of a majority stake in the British independent TV production company Red Production Company, marking StudioCanal's entry into the UK television drama production industry.[28]

In September 2014, StudioCanal announced a first-look deal with the newly established American entertainment company The Picture Company, founded by former Silver Pictures employees Andrew Rona and Alex Heinemann. The deal was extended in May 2023, with StudioCanal acquiring a minority stake in the company alongside a new five-year deal.[29]

In June 2016, StudioCanal acquired the intellectual rights to the Paddington Bear brand, along with the Copyrights Group, the franchise's merchandise licensing agent. StudioCanal then announced that it would be producing three more Paddington films, including a show on the Nick Jr. Channel in 2020.[30]

In July 2021, StudioCanal announced its acquisition of German production company Lailaps Films.[31]

In June 2022, StudioCanal announced that it had acquired a majority stake Utrecht-based independent film production and distribution firm Dutch FilmWorks, marking an expansion into the Benelux for StudioCanal.[32]

In April 2024, it was announced that StudioCanal had launched a new label dedicated to publishing book-to-screen adaptations called StudioCanal Stories.[33]

the company has 14 production companies in Europe and the US.[34]

People

Anna Marsh was CEO of Studiocanal in 2019 until October 2022, when she was Deputy CEO of Canal+ Group. She had joined Studiocanal in 2008, and been formerly held positions such as head of international sales and managing director of StudioCanal UK.[35]

Film library

StudioCanal acquired film libraries from studios that either became defunct or had merged with it over the years; as a result, the company's library is one of the largest in the world. the company holds more than 9,000 titles.[34]

StudioCanal owns the libraries of the following companies:

Former agreements

Television series

StudioCanal currently owns the rights to over 30 television series, mostly produced by TANDEM Productions and Red Production Company, including The Avengers, , Paranoid, Public Eye, Crazyhead, Take Two, Wanted Dead or Alive, The Adventures of Paddington (2019), and international rights to The Big Valley

Distribution

Outside France, the British Isles, Australia, New Zealand and Germany, StudioCanal does not have a formal distribution unit per se, instead relying on other distribution studios and home video distributors to handle their titles. In North America for example, The Criterion Collection, Rialto Pictures, Lionsgate Home Entertainment, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (for the Embassy catalog), Universal Pictures (for co-productions), Shout! Studios and Kino Lorber distribute StudioCanal's back catalogue on DVD and Blu-ray Disc (in addition, Anchor Bay Entertainment and Image Entertainment previously owned several of their titles). Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has handled distribution of StudioCanal/Hoyts Distribution films in Australia and New Zealand on DVD and Blu-ray since early 2013.

From the 1990s to early 2000s, Warner Home Video formerly handled distribution of select StudioCanal titles through the Canal+ Image label in the United Kingdom on VHS and DVD until 2006 when StudioCanal opened its own distribution unit in the UK, with titles distributed through Optimum Releasing (via Universal Pictures Home Entertainment from 2006 to 2007 and Elevation Sales since 2007).[50]

StudioCanal had the European home video distribution rights to 550 titles from the Miramax library from 2011 to 2020,[51] [52] when ViacomCBS bought a minority stake in Miramax.

On 13 October 2021, StudioCanal announced that its global distribution deal with Universal would expire in January 2022. Later that year, they started distributing their home media releases through Plaion Pictures in Germany. In early 2024, they started distributing their home media releases in France through ESC Distribution.[53]

Selected films produced by StudioCanal or associated companies

See main article: List of StudioCanal films.

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: T-800 Endoskeleton.
  2. Web site: Milmo . Dan . Lescure ousted at Canal Plus . The Guardian . 16 April 2002 . 16 May 2024.
  3. Web site: L'histoire du Groupe CANAL+ de 1983 à nos jours . Canal+ . 1 January 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120205011344/http://www.canalplusgroup.com/pid163.htm#anch_29 . 5 February 2012 . dead.
  4. Web site: Canal Plus . Encyclopedia.com . 18 May 2018 . 16 May 2024.
  5. Web site: Terminator 2: Judgment Day. Box Office Mojo. August 22, 2013.
  6. Web site: Basic Instinct. Box Office Mojo. August 22, 2013.
  7. Web site: The Tourist. Box Office Mojo. August 22, 2013.
  8. Web site: Bates . James . New Carolco Library Bid Sends Fox Running . Los Angeles Times . 17 January 1996 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230113110509/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1996-01-17-fi-25405-story.html . 13 January 2023 . live . 17 May 2024.
  9. News: Carolco Pictures files for bankruptcy protection. New York Times. 1995-11-11.
  10. Web site: StudioCanal sells its share of Tobis. . Alexandra. Nartowicz. 3 January 2003. 26 November 2023.
  11. Web site: Vivendi U buys into Sogepaq. . John. Hopewell. 2 July 2001. 26 November 2023.
  12. Web site: StudioCanal acquires 45% of Sogepaq for $36m. . Patrick. Frater. 2 July 2002. 26 November 2023.
  13. Web site: StudioCanal acquires 45% of Sogepaq. Unifrance. 5 July 2001. 26 November 2023.
  14. Web site: StudioCanal grabs Mars Films, gives Bac new hope. Screen International. Francoise. Meaux Saint Marc. 2 October 2002. 26 November 2023 .
  15. Web site: Viv U scootin' Teuton distrib. Variety. Ed. Meza. 1 December 2002. 26 November 2023.
  16. Web site: Viv U sells its Sogepaq stake. Variety. 10 July 2003. 26 November 2023.
  17. Web site: Celerier says Mars can do it all. The Hollywood Reporter. 15 February 2008. 26 November 2023.
  18. Web site: StudioCanal Acquires 30% Of Mars Films; Appoints Didier Lupfer As President. Deadline Hollywood. 29 September 2015. 26 November 2023.
  19. Web site: Studiocanal to Operate Heavy-Hitting Mars Films Library as French Distributor Finalizes Restructuring. Variety. Elsa. Keslassy. 20 August 2021. 26 November 2023 .
  20. Web site: Studio Canal moves into Blighty. Variety. May 7, 2006.
  21. Web site: About Us. Elevation Sales. 16 July 2022.
  22. Web site: Optimum, Lionsgate to buy Elevation Sales. The Hollywood Reporter. Sam. Andrews. 20 May 2007. 16 July 2022 .
  23. Web site: StudioCanal buys Kinowelt . Variety. January 17, 2008.
  24. Web site: Optimum, Kinowelt to be rebranded as StudioCanal. Screen Daily. June 30, 2011.
  25. Web site: StudioCanal acquires Tandem . Variety. Ed. Maza. John . Hopewell. January 12, 2012. May 2, 2024.
  26. Web site: StudioCanal Takes Full Control of 'Pillars of the Earth' Producer Tandem. The Hollywood Reporter. May 12, 2020. May 2, 2024.
  27. Web site: Hoyts Distribution renamed STUDIOCANAL in Australia and New Zealand. IF Magazine. March 4, 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20130409041010/http://if.com.au/2013/04/03/article/Hoyts-Distribution-renamed-STUDIOCANAL-in-Australia-and-New-Zealand/MBDQJXMERM.html. 9 April 2013.
  28. Web site: StudioCanal acquires stake in Red Production Company. Screen Daily. Stephen. Chapman. December 5, 2013. May 2, 2024.
  29. Web site: StudioCanal Acquires Mintory Stake in The Picture Company. Deadline Hollywood. Mike Jr.. Fleming. May 22, 2023. May 2, 2024.
  30. Web site: Studiocanal Acquires Paddington Bear Brand, Plans Third Paddington Movie . John . Hopewell . Elsa . Keslassy . 20 June 2016 . Variety.
  31. Web site: StudioCanal buys German prodco Lailaps. July 7, 2021 . C21Media . May 2, 2024.
  32. Web site: StudioCanal Takes Majority Stake in Dutch Filmworks . The Hollywood Reporter . June 20, 2022. May 2, 2024.
  33. Web site: StudioCanal Launches Literary Adaptations Label. Deadline Hollywood. Jesse. Whittock. Max. Goldbart. April 29, 2024. May 2, 2024.
  34. Web site: Our activities: From a French television channel to a global audiovisual group . CANAL+ Group . 7 May 2024 . 16 May 2024.
  35. Web site: Tartaglione . Nancy . Anna Marsh Named Deputy CEO Canal+ Group . Deadline . 3 October 2022 . 16 May 2024.
  36. Web site: Lambie. Ryan. The rise and fall of Carolco. March 11, 2014. Den of Geek. April 24, 2015.
  37. Web site: Lambie. Ryan. Exclusive: CEO Alex Bafer Tells Us About The Return of Carolco. January 26, 2015. . April 24, 2015.
  38. Web site: Hammer. Joshua. Total Free Fall. March 8, 1992. Newsweek. April 24, 2015.
  39. Web site: Friendly. David T.. De Laurentiis Rejoins The Ranks--at Embassy. November 16, 1985. Los Angeles Times. April 24, 2015.
  40. Web site: Hopewell. John. Lumiere rocks to French classics. October 20, 2012. Variety. April 24, 2015.
  41. "A.B. Pictures Acquire 50% Of Anglo Amalgamated." The Times [London, England]; April 5, 1962: 21. The Times Digital Archive.
  42. "Associated British Picture Corporation." Sunday Times [London, England] September 3, 1967: 44. The Sunday Times Digital Archive.
  43. Web site: Mitchell. Wendy. Network Distributing acquires rights to 450 films from StudioCanal library. December 17, 2012. Screen Daily. April 24, 2015.
  44. Web site: STUDIOCANAL. British Universities Film & Video Council.
  45. Web site: Haflidason. Almar. Ealing Comedy Boxset 2 DVD (1947-1953). BBC Online. April 25, 2015.
  46. Web site: French. Philip. The Ealing Studios Collection Vol 1 review – Philip French on three immaculately restored Ealing classics . August 9, 2014. The Guardian. April 24, 2015.
  47. Web site: STUDIOCANAL acquires the Romulus Films catalogue. StudioCanal. April 6, 2021.
  48. Web site: Studiocanal Inks Library Deal with Classic Horror Brand Hammer Films. 30 September 2019.
  49. Web site: Studiocanal Acquires Library of 'The Intouchables' Producer. October 1, 2018. Variety. October 1, 2018.
  50. James. Alison. Studio Canal moves into Blighty . Variety. 2011-09-04. Dawtrey, Adam . 2006-05-07.
  51. Web site: Lionsgate, StudioCanal to distribute Miramax films. BusinessWeek. February 11, 2011.
  52. Web site: Lionsgate, Studiocanal and Miramax Enter Into Home Entertainment Distribution Agreements. Yahoo! Finance. February 11, 2011.
  53. Web site: 'Terminator 2,' 'Basic Instinct' to Return to Studiocanal Distribution Portfolio as NBCUniversal Deal Ends – Global Bulletin. October 13, 2021.