StudioCanal chief outlines group’s TV and film strategy

StudioCanal chief executive Anna Marsh believes building long-term library value is key to the production and distribution giant’s decisions on which films and TV series to invest in.

“We will often joke among our colleagues that our grandchildren will thank us for this deal,” said Marsh, who is also deputy chief exec and chief content officer for Canal+, at a fireside chat event at Rome’s MIA Market.

“The one thing that underpins our strategy at StudioCanal is the catalogue,” said Marsh, referring to the company’s 18,000-strong library – one of the biggest in the world.

“When we are investing in a TV series, in a movie, in unscripted, we’re always thinking about what is that value long-term…we’ve always got to be thinking about how we’re stretching the value. 

“In many ways, that also informs your creative decision because we’re not making a one-hit wonder that will just create buzz today. We are making films that will last the distance that hopefully we’ll talk about in 20, 50, 100 years from now.”

She gave the example of feature Elsinore, whose producers include Andrea Occhipinti, head of Rome-based distribution and production company Lucky Red, which Studiocanal acquired in February. The film had its Italian premiere last week at the Rome Film Fest.

“One of the most wonderful things that Andrea brought us was the script of Elsinore. That’s a great example of truly thinking, ‘Why this movie, why this investment, and is this a movie that will stand the test of time?’ It’s about rights ownership – owning and […] essentially creating content today that will be enjoyed by generations in the future.”

Literary adaptations

Marsh said book adaptations are also a “strategic focus” for StudioCanal, and pointed to its literary adaptations label StudioCanal Stories which launched two years ago. “Our biggest, most successful IP to date is Paddington. Paddington started as a book, don’t forget.”

She cited Studiocanal’s acquisition of Peter Cameron’s mystery novel What Happens At Night, which Martin Scorsese has been filming in New York with Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence. StudioCanal is producing with Apple Studios.

“We had a few insider guesses that Martin Scorsese may have been interested in the book for various reasons, and it turns out we were right. He came on to the project, and it’s an absolute privilege to be in business with one of the greatest cineastes of all time,” said Marsh, who recently visited the film’s set in New York.

Marsh also flagged StudioCanal’s acquisition of rights to Freida McFadden’s best-selling thriller The Divorce, about a woman who becomes obsessed with the younger woman her husband leaves her for. StudioCanal and Working Title will produce the feature adaptation, with Studiocanal fully financing and handling distribution in key European territories.

“I love the idea of coming back into those throwback ’80s psychological sexy female thrillers,” said Marsh. “There’s a real audience for that, and also movies that don’t take themselves too seriously, and are not afraid of entertainment and pure popcorn fun.”

Marsh said projects based on existing IP like books are reassuring to invest in at a time when it is “harder and harder to hit the bullseye” for filmmakers.

“Audiences are becoming more and more difficult, and their standards are constantly raised. The young Gen Z generation – there’s just no room for error.” A successful book inspires confidence, she suggested. “It does allow us to put more numbers and more data behind decision-making.”

Marsh was speaking at MIA after the market’s GreenLit drama showcase, which included Gucci: Game Over, a six-part series based on Allegra Gucci’s memoir that is co-produced by Sky Studios and Lucky Red and distributed internationally by StudioCanal.

Mining the library

StudioCanal is also mining its library for remakes too. “It’s a difficult task because if you’re going to, you have to be super brave to embrace the classic and reinvent it,” said Marsh. 

She cited Ronan Bennett’s upcoming series remake of Jean Pierre Melville’s 1969 war film Army Of Shadows, which StudioCanal is co-producing through its new in-house TV production arm for Channel 4 and Canal+. The adaptation has shifted from the French resistance in the Second World War to a near-future authoritarian Britain, and is now shooting in the UK with a cast led by America Ferrara, Paddy Considine, Alex Hassell and Kit Harington.

“We hope shows like that will also enable us to attract more talent. We’ll make more shows like that. We want to be investing in our production engine,” said Marsh.

Africa focus

Marsh also discussed Canal+’s international expansion. Earlier this year, Canal+ acquired a minority 34% stake in French exhibition and production group UGC, and completed its $2bn acquisition of South African pay-TV company MultiChoice.

According to Marsh, Canal+ is now available in 70 territories worldwide and has 40 million subscribers, with over half of that subscriber base English-speaking as a result of the MultiChoice acquisition.

She sees a “wealth of opportunity” for Canal+ in Africa. “You only have to go there for a day or two [to see this]. It’s so liberating to meet incredible talents who are hungry to tell stories.”

• A version of this story first appeared on our sister publication Screen