Anton takes stake in Benedict Cumberbatch prodco SunnyMarch

Benedict Cumberbatch plays the titular character in miniseries Patrick Melrose

Benedict Cumberbatch’s scripted production company SunnyMarch has sold a minority stake to Sébastien Raybaud’s production and financing company Anton.

The two firms will partner on a development slate of high-end features, which Anton will finance, coproduce and sell.

It is the second investment SunnyMarch has secured since it was founded by Cumberbatch and producer Adam Ackland, after StudioCanal bought 20% of the firm in 2016.

However, the existing deal with StudioCanal, which focuses only on the TV operations of SunnyMarch, will not be affected by the film partnership with Anton.

SunnyMarch is behind upcoming film The Electrical Life of Louis Wain, which stars Cumberbatch, Claire Foy and Olivia Coleman, as well as Cold War thriller The Courier and series including Patrick Melrose and The Child in Time.

Anton, founded by Raybaud in 2011, has co-financed international features such as the Paddington franchise, Non-Stop and Shaun the Sheep. It currently co-finances an ongoing high-end drama fund with the BBC that has been used for productions such as McMafia, Gentleman Jack and The Pursuit of Love, starring Lily James.

Anton also has multi-financing agreements with European studios including Federation Entertainment and TF1-owned Newen, in addition to a self-commissioned shortform drama series with the BBC and Clerkenwell Films.