The international distributor is present in Cannes with a brand new slate of dramas and documentaries.
Studiocanal today announced a raft of international sales for its premium drama and documentary series ahead of Mipcom 2023, launching a diverse line-up of new prestige series set to be unveiled in Cannes.
Anne Chérel, EVP Global Sales and Distribution, Studiocanal, unveiled details of brand new CANAL+ Creation Originale drama The Trigger (La Fievre) which will launch at Mipcom ’23. Created by the producers of award-winning political thriller series Baron Noir, the 6 x 1 hour drama is a unique combination of two highly compelling worlds; football and crisis communication.
Chérel comments, “The Trigger is a must-watch, incredibly fast-paced and dangerous drama series – what initially appears to be an isolated violent act on a football field quickly turns into an out of control global incident. It’s a merciless battle between two women (once friends) who will both fight their own corners to either bring down or defend democracy as a whole.”
Other brand-new premium dramas available for the first time at Mipcom include CANAL+ Creation Originale Of Money And Blood – a gripping and cinematic thriller set around the carbon tax scandal and following The World Premiere at Venice. The 12 x 52’ character-driven drama with outstanding performances is freely inspired by the book “D’Argent et de Sang” written by the French Investigative journalist Fabrice Arfi on the basis of real events. Black Daisies an 8 x 1 hour supernatural thriller produced by Poland’s Balapolis for CANAL+ Poland. This highly original mystery thriller combines supernatural elements and a deeply emotional drama of a woman trying to save her daughter’s future by reconciling with her own past.
Chérel also confirmed that the first TV series adapted and directed by multi award-winner Xavier Dolan, The Night Logan Woke Up, has been acquired by a host of international platforms and broadcasters including Star Channel Japan, SBS Australia, BeTV Belgium, Lumiere Benelux, LTV Latvia, CANAL+ Poland, Netflix USA, ANT1+ Greece and Greek speaking Cyprus, RTP Portugal, Filmin Spain and Portugal, CANAL+ Austria, WDR Germany, SRF Switzerland and BLUTV Turkey. A CANAL+ Creation Originale, the 5 x 1 hour psychological thriller, based on the play “La Nuit où Laurier Gaudreault s’est réveillé” by Michel Marc Bouchard, is a deeply human story starring Xavier Dolan (Matthias & Maxime) who also produced and directed the series. The Night Logan Woke Up has successfully featured in a variety of festivals around the world including Sundance Film Festival (USA – World Premiere), Golden Horse Film Festival (Taiwan), Transylvania International Film Festival (Romania) and is lined up for the upcoming Florence Queer Festival (Italy), Cologne (Germany) and the Gent Film Festival (Belgium).
Chérel says, “We are delighted to see such extensive global success for Xavier’s first foray into TV. Studiocanal’s experience and long-standing relationships with talent across both film and TV means we are particularly well-placed to help and guide creatives as they step from one discipline to another.”
Studiocanal’s Beatriz Campos, SVP Global Sales and Production Financing also confirms strong international interest in premium daily drama THE VOW, with new sales to HRT Croatia, KTV Kosovo, LRT Lithuania, Dori Media Israel and YLE Finland, in addition to previously announced Mediaset Italy.
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). With season two currently in production and season three already greenlit, Campos comments, “THE VOW cleverly mixes genres across murder, mystery, romance and period detail. It’s a daily series, now with 491 x one hour episodes available. Ambitiously created with a prime time budget and a truly premium look, we’re thrilled that so many of our international clients are coming back for more.”
Studiocanal’s prime time documentary slate has continued to expand since its official launch at MIPCOM last year. The first season of The Wonders Of Europe, which tells the story of the people who built some of the biggest and most unique landmarks in Europe, has been acquired by SBS Australia, DR Denmark, Rai Italy, RTVE Spain, RTP Portugal, Dubai Media MENA, RTV Slovenia and Sky Arts NZ. With immersive fictional scenes, historical docudrama Rise Of The Vikings has sold to AMC Networks International Southern Europe, RTL+ (GEOTV) Germany and TV5 French-speaking Canada.Inspired by remarkable events, Air Cocaine has sold to RTL French-speaking Belgium, BluTV Turkey and to Movistar+ Spain, which has also acquired Narco Circus directed by investigative journalist Romain Bolzinger. Captivating true crime series from New Zealand Black Coast Vanishings has now been acquired by DR Denmark and RTL Crime Germany.
Studiocanal will launch a collection of brand new documentaries at Mipcom ’23 spanning a range of intriguing subjects including Lagerfeld a 4 x 1 hour series produced by Banijay Group’s KM. Karl Lagerfeld is a name and above all a figure known across the globe. He was the greatest fashion designer of his time. More than a designer, he became a brand, an icon. Lagerfeld was a personality out of the ordinary, the absolute accomplishment of a free man who spent his life reinventing himself. With extended access to archive footage and exclusive interviews with industry icons such as Cara Delevingne and Pharrell Williams, Lagerfeld is a deep dive into one of the world’s greatest fashion creators. From his childhood in Germany during WWII, to his incredible success as a designer, each episode mixes well-known and documented events with emotional sequences about his private life.
Victor Wembanyama: Un1Que is a 1 x 90 minute film produced by V.WHAT, Little Darwin Films, Comsport. October 2022, Las Vegas. After having discovered him in two US exhibition games, America is in awe of Victor Wembanyama, the nineteen-year-old French basketball player whose talent is matched only by his exceptional height of 2.23 meters. Fast forward 9 months, Victor has become a worldwide sensation and, after being selected by the San Antonio Spurs as the No.1 overall pick in the 2023 NBA draft, is now considered the best NBA prospect since LeBron James. This film gains unprecedented access to ‘Wemby’ and his inner circle during the most pivotal year of his career to date. The result is an inspiring and intimate portrait of one of the greatest athletes of his generation.
Two further seasons of The Wonders Of Europe will highlight other incredible monuments including The Eiffel Tower, The Sacré-Coeur, Mount Saint-Michel in France, Rome’s Pantheon, Florence Cathedral and Schönbrunn Palce in Austria among others.
Prost, a 6 x 30’ sport docu-series produced by Colette Productions, is an intimate portrait of Alain Prost, the man behind the international sporting legend. Nicknamed ‘the professor’ for his deeply analytical approach to motorsport, Prost is one of the most successful drivers in the history of
Formula 1, winning four championships and 51 races. The series follows Prost during his last season before retirement, tracing his extraordinary career from his modest childhood to his status as F1 champion. It features interviews with Prost himself, plus major figures from the fascinating world of Formula 1 and also explores the legendary rivalry with his nemesis, Ayrton Senna.
Anne Chérel, EVP Global Sales and Distribution, Studiocanal concludes, “Always looking to intrigue and entertain viewers worldwide, Studiocanal continues to deliver the highest quality content across a diverse expanse of illuminating subjects in every genre. We’re very excited to be arriving at MIPCOM 2023 with an even larger slate of prestige programming created by leading international producers and looking forward to giving our clients the best possible offering at Mipcom.”
