A European power Studiocanalwhich is part of the Vivendi group Canal+ Group, achieved strong sales for Xavier Dolan’s Sundance-nominated psychological thriller “The Night Logan Woke Up,” the Spanish period drama “The Vow” and a series of debut documentaries.
These deals highlight Studiocanal’s continued benefit of illustrious film talent exploring the premium TV direction, as well as the company’s beneficial diversification into documentary and daily series sales.
A world premiere at Sundance and a Canal+ original based on Michel Marc Bouchard’s play “The Night Where Laurier Gaudreault Awoke”, “The Night Logan Woke Up” was sold to Netflix for the United States, Star Channel Japan, SBS Australia, Filmin for Spain and Portugal and WDR Germany, among the main territories.
Among a multitude of deals, “Logan,” which marks the first television series from Quebec actor-director Dolan, winner of the Cannes jury prize, has also been licensed by Studiocanal to BeTV Belgium, Lumière Benelux, LTV Latvia, Canal+ Poland, ANT1+ Greece RTP. Portugal, Canal+ Austria, SRF Switzerland and BLUTV Türkiye.
“The series has traveled very well since its world premiere at Sundance. We are very happy with the buy-in from these territories, as well as the quality of the platforms and channels we have managed to secure,” said Beatriz Campos, SVP of Worldwide Sales and Production Finance at Studiocanal .
News of sales of Dolan’s first TV opus comes as Studiocanal bows Mipcom sales list led by the very buzzy “Of Money and Blood”, by Xavier Giannoli and again his first television series, as well as “The Trigger”, a series which rather went unnoticed by the producer of “The Intouchables” Ziad Doueiri, director of Quad and “Baron Noir”, and Eric Benzekri, creator.
With Studiocanal boarding “Another Round,” creator Thomas Vinterberg’s “Families Like Ours,” its first TV series, after distributing the Academy Award-winning “Another Round.”
Studiocanal is increasingly working on directors’ cinema-TV crossovers, following key talents.
“We are very excited to continue this journey with directors, screenwriters and actors from film and television, as we ourselves have worked successfully in both fields for a long time now,” said Anne Chérel, vice-president. Executive President of Worldwide Sales and Distribution, Studiocanal. Variety.
“Good stories can be developed for both film and television. This is why talents also work from one format to another. This makes perfect sense and allows us to deliver quality entertainment to audiences around the world, across all formats. »
Other deals with Studiocanal revealed at Variety on the eve of Mipcom, a second trend is underlined: the strong diversification of Studiocanal, both in factual, where it launched its first selection of documentaries at Mipcom last year, and in premium daily series, such as “The Vow », his second.
‘The wish’
A co-production between Studiocanal and RTVE in Spain, “The Vow” is created by Josep Cister (“Two Lives”) and produced by Bambú Producciones (“Velvet”, “Cable Girls”).
Set against the backdrop of stunning landscapes and heritage sites in southern Spain in 1913, a period mystery drama and an up-and-down love story, “The Vow” concluded new sales to HRT Croatia, KTV Kosovo, LRT Lithuania, Dori Media Israel and YLE Finland, adding to the previously announced agreement with Mediaset Italy.
Acclaimed as the crown jewel of Spanish public channel RTVE, which in June confirmed a third season of 250 episodes (sic) as it increasingly increases its share of winnings in time slots, “The Vow” is ” so very well produced and very addictive.” and engaging,” Campos said.
“Josep Cister, creator of the series, has such an understanding of the market. He was convinced of why this story should be told and how it should be told. “The Vow” is incredibly successful and season 3 is currently in production.
As with other series, Studiocanal – and Bambú, which has a long reputation for production standards, dating back to “Grand Hotel” – appear to be outclassing the competition.
“The daily series co-production model has not been explored much but we are seizing this opportunity,” Campos said. “Our collective financial support helps elevate the project to a higher quality, which also gives the daily series the look and feel and attention to detail you want as a viewer, from those exteriors to the elements subtle techniques that make this series truly special and cinematic.
“I am convinced that we will have discussions and interest from the FAST channels because of the show, its quality and more than 500 episodes,” added Chérel.
The wish
Credit: Miguel Age
“The Wonders of Europe” and other documentaries sales
Studiocanal’s prime time documentary offering has continued to expand since its official launch at Mipcom last year, and is reaping its first fruits in terms of sales.
Season 1 of ‘The Wonders of Europe’, which tells the story of the people who built some of Europe’s greatest and most unique monuments, has been acquired by SBS Australia, DR Denmark, Rai Italy, RTVE Spain, RTP Portugal, Dubai Media MENA, RTV Slovenia and Sky Arts NZ.
A big-budget series, mixing reconstruction and talking heads, and complex 3D-style CGI to frame the stories of founding and physical development over the decades, “Wonders of Europe” has been greenlit for two more seasons . Hugh Bonneville narrates the English version.
“Just as David Attenborough is a nature of the first order, Hugh Bonneville is a reference to history. We are excited to continue our work with Hugh outside of the beloved Paddington franchise and we love this series and the discoveries it contains,” said Chérel.
Featuring immersive fictional scenes, the historical docudrama “Rise of the Vikings” was sold to AMC Networks International Southern Europe, RTL+ for its GeoTV channel in Germany and TV5 in French-speaking Canada.
RTL in French-speaking Belgium, BluTV Turkey and Movistar+ in Spain jumped on “Narco Circus”, produced by investigative journalist Romain Bolzinger. “Black Coast Vanishings,” a well-talked about New Zealand crime series, has been acquired by DR Denmark and RTL Crime in Germany.
“What is common to our film catalog and that of Mipcom is diversity and eclecticism,” said Chérel.
“We are incredibly excited to have such a diverse roster at Mipcom. Although the titles are available in different languages and genres, they are accessible, relevant and entertaining/engaging. We strive to be as demanding in television as in film, having the highest production and creative standards in each category, we continue to be ambitious in everything we do,” she added.
Those looking to trace Studiocanal’s growing global ambitions need look no further than this year’s Mipcom slate, which features 10 series, performed in five languages, spanning eight genres.
The wonders of Europe
Credit: Chengyu Prod
Some highlights from the live action:
“Money and blood”
After premiering at the Venice Film Festival earlier this fall to enthusiastic reception and one of two TV shows selected out of competition, the Canal+ original “Of Money and Blood” marks the first scripted drama from “Lost Illusions” director Xavier Giannoli. Director-focused – Giannoli directed all episodes to cinematic standards – he is supported by his long-time producer Olivier Dubosc at Curiosa Films.
Top of the line, “Of Money and Blood” brings together a powerful cast that includes Vincent Lindon (“Titane”), also in the first TV work for the Cannes best actor award, Niels Schneider (“Coup de Chance”) and Olga Kurylenko (“Quantum of Comfort”) This propulsive 12-episode thriller tells the true story of one of the biggest financial scams of the 21st century, a multi-layered carbon tax fraud.
Studiocanal is targeting the United States, Spain and Italy for early sales.
“It’s amazing that this series is inspired by real events, which really makes it very appealing,” Campos said. “We were very proud to present the series in its entirety at the Venice Film Festival a few weeks ago and see the series continue to thrive.”
” The trigger “
From the team behind the iconic Canal+ series “Baron Noir,” “The Trigger” features “Petite Maman” star Nina Meurisse as she explores the political and racial tensions of contemporary France through the prism of a crisis management company responsible for managing particularly volatile football. global case.
“The Trigger” “will feature first-class writing and some elements that will make you question the reality of what you are watching. I think it’s in the creator’s DNA when they make this type of story,” Chérel said of Benzekri.
“Black Daisies”
Among Variety pick of Mipcom’s best shows, Canal+ Poland’s “Black Daisies” is a big-budget mystery thriller, combining supernatural elements and the emotional struggles of a woman trying to save her daughter’s future, even if it means having to come to terms with her own past.
“With a number of thrillers launching – notably by Studiocanal – the market is demanding something unique and that stands out,” Campos said. “In “Black Daisies,” you are captivated by the story because it has reliable thriller elements to draw you in. But she brings extra layers to the mystery and has the mother-daughter relationship. The storyline and relationship dynamics make this series both special and unpredictable.
“Wembanyama”
A basketball documentary, which follows the life of the new French NBA phenomenon, “Wembanyama” “is a very good example of a documentary that delivers on its promises – even if you are not familiar with the selection system or even with basketball, you’re just fascinated by his character, his journey and his maturity being so young, and his life; an incredible story that from the outside seems crazy,” Campos said.
It is also a family drama. “He will go far, in part thanks to the family support he has,” Campos added.
“Streaming services are investing in premium documentaries, it’s something that the market demands in terms of factuality,” believes Chérel. “The challenge for Canal+ is to find the right angle to make documentaries aimed at a wider audience – and to reach this audience,” she stressed.
Marta Balaga contributed to this report.
