StudioCanal launches literary adaptation label StudioCanal Stories

War of the Worlds was produced by Urban Myth Films

French production group StudioCanal has launched StudioCanal Stories, a new label dedicated to literary adaptations into films and TV series.

After first announcing a department dedicated to literary adaptations in 2022, StudioCanal Stories is designed to help increase its reach among recognised and emerging literary talents. A management board for the new label will be announced at a later date.

The market for literary adaptations has seen strong growth across many areas in recent years. In 2023, 42% of the 100 biggest hits at the American box office were literary adaptations (44% in France). In France, cinematographic and audiovisual adaptations of literary works increased by almost 30% between 2015 and 2021, while in cinema they total 33% of admissions.

In film, two of StudioCanal’s most recent adaptations have been selected in Official Competition by the 2024 Cannes Film Festival: Beating Hearts (Gilles Lellouche) adapted from the novel by Neville Thompson, and The Most Precious of Cargoes (Michel Hazanavicius), an animated film adapted from the tale by Jean-Claude Grumberg. It is also known for John Le Carré’s Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy and Frances Hodgson’s The Secret Garden.

In series, StudioCanal adaptations include H G Wells’ War of the Worlds produced by Urban Myth Films, and Jo Bloom’s Ridley Road which was turned into a TV series by Red Production Company.

Furthermore, thanks to Copyrights, an international intellectual property management company it is responsible for developing, StudioCanal has adapted several of its franchises into films and series. Paddington (Michael Bond), for instance, has been adapted into three animated series, two films and a third production which will soon be released in cinemas.

The company is currently adapting preschool books Miffy and JP Delaney’s Playing Nice as series. Other projects will be announced soon.