Newen Studios takes majority stake in Marie Guillaumond’s prodco Felicita
MIPCOM: TF1-owned Newen Studios has continued its expansion by acquiring a majority stake in Marie Guillaumond’s France-based drama production company Felicita Films.
Guillaumond and her business will now become part of the Newen Studios network of European production companies following the announcement here in Cannes on the second day of Mipcom.
Romain Bessi, president of Newen Studios, said: “Our growth and development relies on our ability to attract and bring together the best talent in the business and, as such, I’m delighted to welcome Marie Guillaumond to the Newen Studios family.
“She is not only a hugely talented producer but also has a successful track record as the creative director of French fiction at TFI, as well as projects in development that are both groundbreaking and exciting.”
Guillaumond, founder and lead at Felicita, added: “I am delighted to join Newen Studios and the talented teams led by Roman Bessi. This collaboration is the logical next step in a long-standing relationship that began in 2008 with the TF1 group. It is also an opportunity for Felicita to strengthen its development by aligning with an ambitious and powerful group capable of elevating its television and film projects to new heights in France and internationally.”
Guillaumond began her career as a journalist (Capa Presse, I Télé, Paris Première) before joining French commercial broadcaster and Newen parent TF1 in 2008 as a programme advisor.
In 2013, she became the artistic director of French fiction and is credited with successes such as L’emprise, Le secret d’Elise, Insoupçonnable, Une chance de trop, La Mante, Sam and Les Bracelets Rouges.
In 2019, she decided to become a producer and founded Felicita Films, a production company initially focused on audiovisual content (Belle belle belle, Mensonges, Entre ses mains) before expanding into cinema.
Felicita Films is currently in post-production on A la Hauteur, a feature film directed by Delphine and Muriel Coulin starring Vincent Lindon. Felicita Films now has around 10 projects in development for both the local market and streaming platforms.
Meanwhile, in related news, Newen Studios CEO Romain Bessi appealed for the industry to take more risks and not rely on established IP when creating content.
At a Mipcom panel session today, Bessi bemoaned a lack of originality in new programming commissions.
The market has seen the launch of numerous format reboots and drama series based on books or already established brands.
As reported by C21, BBC Studios CEO Ralph Lee today said that commissioners need content familiar to audiences, as streamers and broadcasters pursue a ‘fewer, bigger, better’ content strategy.
“It’s easier for executives to make the decision to invest in de-risked content because it has already worked in the past, or in a different territory,” Bessi said.
“However, if we keep using the old IPs at some point there will be a problem, so we need to make sure that we keep taking risks and investing in development to create new IPs.
“We’re lucky because at Newen Studios we have a long history and a large library. So we have a lot of IPs but we also invest a lot of time and money into creating new product, whether that’s animation or drama.”
