Campaign Profile

STUDIOCANAL’s Paul Gilbert, senior VP of English-language series, and Chloé Marquet, head of international sales for films and TV, outline the company’s in-house production strategy, the importance of English-language content and their London TV Screenings slate.

What was the strategy behind the recent launch of an in-house production arm?

Paul Gilbert: The strategy was born out of a reading of where the TV industry is right now. We’re no longer in the gold-rush phase – buyers today want shows that can define a brand, build an audience and genuinely travel. So launching an in-house production arm wasn’t about doing more, it was about doing better.

STUDIOCANAL is one of the few companies genuinely positioned across television, cinema and global distribution. We don’t just develop stories, we can finance them, produce them, scale them and take them to audiences worldwide. Bringing production in-house allows us to fully align creative ambition with commercial strategy, and to take greater ownership of the IP we’re building. The in-house arm also allows us to become a true home for world-class television talent in the same way STUDIOCANAL has long been for film. It gives creatives a clear sense of who we are, what we stand for and the kinds of shows we’re committed to making over the long term.

You have also expanded further into English-language content; what is the thinking behind this?

Gilbert: The thinking is both creative and strategic. The expansion is a natural evolution of STUDIOCANAL’s ambition to operate at the centre of the global scripted market. English-language drama remains the most powerful way to reach international audiences, but what cuts through now isn’t scale for its own sake – it’s creator-driven, culturally specific storytelling with clear popular appeal. Audiences are more discerning than ever, and they respond to shows that know exactly what they are and why they exist.

The UK is uniquely placed to deliver that. It combines world-class writers and performers with a storytelling tradition that blends European nuance with global accessibility, making it an ideal creative base for series designed to travel internationally. Being part of the CANAL+ Group, which is the market leader in 40 countries across Europe, Africa and Asia, offers a fantastic opportunity to develop a premium English-language slate that is appealing for the group’s 40 million-plus subscribers. The global success of PARIS HAS FALLEN – both across CANAL+ territories and internationally, including strong performances in the UK (Prime Video) and US (Hulu) – is a clear example of how that model can create commercially successful, travelling IP.

Alongside that, we have access to one of the richest film libraries in the world, particularly our French catalogue, full of bold cinematic worlds ripe for longform reinvention. Our aim is to lean into what makes those stories distinctive and combine cinematic DNA with writer-led television to create premium, returnable series built for long-term global value. In a moment when the industry is refining rather than retreating, that feels like exactly the right place to be.

What fruits of this strategy will be showcased at the London TV Screenings this month?

Gilbert: At this year’s London TV Screenings, we’re very deliberately showcasing the first tangible expressions of our expanded English-language strategy. Leading the slate is HIT POINT, created by Bafta-winning writer Howard Overman and produced by Urban Myth Films. It’s a sleek, adrenaline-charged crime thriller set in a filmic, modern London, powered by two incredibly compelling leads and a big emotional engine.

It follows 30-something detectives Leo (Nick Blood, Day of the Jackal) and Bella (Saffron Hocking, Top Boy) as their latest case pulls them into a dangerous London underworld. On the hunt for answers, the lines between their personal and professional lives blur with every twist and betrayal. Sexy, sharp and character-driven, it exemplifies our belief that premium drama can be both authored and highly entertaining.

We’re also presenting APOLLO HAS FALLEN, the next chapter in the globally successful Has Fallen franchise. Building on the extraordinary international performance of PARIS HAS FALLEN, this second season keeps the same high-octane engine but scales it up – bigger threat, broader canvas and deeper emotional stakes.

Tewfik Jallab and Ritu Arya are reprising their roles as a heroic duo locked in a relentless fight to save millions… and to survive. After a daring hijack spirals into a shadowy conspiracy, the duo must confront ruthless mercenaries, a traitor within their ranks and their own harrowing pasts. While a deadly virus threatens to decimate Europe, Zara and Vincent are pushed to the edge – facing betrayal, heartbreak and impossible choices. From the Libyan coast to the streets of Madrid, with countless lives hanging in the balance and the clock ticking, can they outwit the brutal mercenary leader, Yuri Mishkin, or will his insidious plan for chaos succeed?

It’s a strong example of how we approach franchisable IP: clear concept and cinematic spectacle anchored by character.

Completing the slate is ARMY OF SHADOWS, from acclaimed showrunner Ronan Bennett. Inspired by the Jean-Pierre Melville movie – a jewel in our film archive – and the Joseph Kessel book, this is a bold, contemporary reimagining of resistance – a tense, character-driven thriller that asks urgent moral questions about freedom, power and complicity in today’s world. It speaks directly to how we want to use legacy IP: not reverently, but creatively, to say something urgent and relevant now.

Ex-soldier Berry thought his fighting days were over. But as Britain enters a new era of control – its streets under watch, its freedoms narrowing, its future shaped by forces beyond its borders – he’s drawn into one last, dangerous fight. Around him, a fragile resistance takes shape: Adam and Vanessa, two students pulled into politics before they’re ready; Simon, a charismatic novelist driven by urgency and anger; and Esther, a radiotherapist whose calm, ordinary life becomes entangled in the risks Berry is taking. What begins as whispered conversations in kitchens and safe houses soon ignites into open defiance, as the new regime tightens its grip and daily life becomes increasingly constrained. If your freedom were taken tomorrow, how far would you go to get it back?

Together, these shows reflect the range of our ambition: popular yet premium, authored yet accessible, and designed to launch as unmissable events for a global audience.

Are you finding that UK broadcasters are now more open to coproductions with French companies?

Chloé Marquet: While as the leading European studio, part of CANAL+, a global media and entertainment group listed in London, we’re not strictly speaking a ‘French company’; we have been very happy to find great UK partners with our recent projects, working on ARMY OF SHADOWS, HIT POINT and PLAYING NICE with three different UK commissioning broadcasters.

We also feel UK broadcasters are increasingly leaning into international coproductions to offset rising production costs and domestic budget constraints, collaborating more often with European broadcasters and global streamers to get major dramas off the ground. Demand is particularly strong for content with local authenticity, recognisable talent and broad international appeal.

With Aska Yamaguchi now overseeing international TV coproductions and leading the financing strategy supporting STUDIOCANAL’s global TV expansion, we are actively pursuing these kinds of opportunities everywhere, aiming to foster partnerships with major broadcasters and platforms – primarily on English‑language in‑house productions, but also on ambitious local‑language titles.

Which genres will your English-language strategy focus on and which are off-limits?

Gilbert: We’re leading with writers. We want to be a home for creators who know exactly what their show is, and series that feel confident in their entertainment value. That naturally draws us towards big, accessible drama – crime, thrillers, mysteries, relationship stories – genres that allow character, tension and emotion to drive long-running narratives. But genre is never the brief in isolation – what matters is tonal confidence and a point of view that feels singular rather than committee-built. The best shows develop their own identity.

What’s off-limits for us is anonymous, mid-range drama made to fill space, or anything that follows convention. In today’s market, every project needs a clear reason to exist – creatively, commercially, culturally. We want cinematic, unmissable series that audiences actively choose, love and come back to.

What are your plans for building out your content pipeline to other Anglophone markets?

Gilbert: Our ambition isn’t limited to Anglophone markets; it’s about worldwide appeal. English-language series are one powerful route to that, but they’re part of a broader strategy rooted in global storytelling and international scale. One pillar is continuing to strengthen our role as a leading international distributor of ambitious third-party series. Shows like THIS IS NOT A MURDER MYSTERY demonstrate how we can support distinctive English-language projects with global ambition, helping them reach audiences far beyond their country of origin.

Alongside that, as a producer, we’re deliberately building a diverse pipeline across genres and audiences, including kids and family, a space where STUDIOCANAL already has deep expertise and global reach, largely thanks to our stewardship of our favourite bear, Paddington. A great example is MIFFY & FRIENDS, the new CGI series featuring the globally beloved character, which has just launched on CANAL+ in France and will shortly debut on Sky Kids in the UK. It’s a perfect illustration of how globally recognisable IP can be reimagined for modern audiences.

We’re also developing premium English-language adaptations with international appeal, such as MURDER MOST UNLADYLIKE (currently in development), which speaks to younger audiences while travelling naturally across territories. Ultimately, whether English-language or not, our focus is on distinctive, authored shows that scale internationally and build long-term value.

Marquet: That’s why we’re still dedicated to also offering the best of CANAL+ Original Creations to international broadcasters and audiences worldwide, like A PROPHET, the gritty crime drama reimagining the iconic Jacques Audiard film (released in the UK by STUDIOCANAL) which had its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival and will debut imminently on CANAL+, or THE SENTINELS, an action-packed series set during World War I, but with a twist, offering a fresh and strong take on the war genre, a show that is both unique and perfectly fit to travel internationally.

How will CANAL+ Group’s ownership of MultiChoice change things for STUDIOCANAL?

Marquet: By integrating MultiChoice, the pay TV leader in English-speaking and Portuguese-speaking Africa, CANAL+ made the largest acquisition in its history, creating a unique combined company. This true global media and entertainment powerhouse serves more than 40 million subscribers across close to 70 countries and increases the group’s ability to invest in creative and sporting content throughout Europe, Africa and Asia.

As CANAL+’s in-house studio and the leading European studio, operating at the crossroads of content, across both production and distribution, STUDIOCANAL is already key in this new combined company.

The compelling series SPINNERS, which we proudly distribute internationally, is a coproduction between MultiChoice and CANAL+, produced by Federation MEAC and Natives At Large, and is a perfect example of our collaboration. We’re very happy to showcase season two in London next week, with the series coming soon in 2026 on CANAL+ and MultiChoice.

How is the global economic situation impacting buyer behaviour in 2026?

Marquet: Audiences all over the globe are always up for great content, and we’re privileged to have access to incredible creative talent and exciting projects and stories. We are championing an ambitious slate of strong IP – APOLLO HAS FALLEN, MIFFY & FRIENDS and ARMY OF SHADOWS, to name just a few – as well as bold new content meant to return, like SPINNERS and THE SENTINELS. And we have some very exciting projects ahead, with expanded opportunities to develop more original content, especially with African creatives and partners following the MultiChoice acquisition.