StudioCanal names senior team at new-look Worldwide Television division
France’s StudioCanal has reorganised its Worldwide Television division under managing director M-K Kennedy and made a number of senior appointments.
As part of the shake-up, Alix Lebrat becomes senior VP of series for France and Southern Europe while Nicolas Loock has been appointed senior VP of series for Northern Europe.
Lebrat will have oversight of the French- and Spanish-language slates, as well as all series opportunities arising in Italy and Greece.
Under Lebrat’s leadership, StudioCanal plans to broaden scripted production in its home territory through labels 2eme Bureau, Flab, Upside and Pernel. She will also be responsible for driving the studio’s explorations in Latin America, where the aim is to expand on the work of its wholly owned Bambu Producciones, led by multi-hyphenate Ramon Campos and new producer Te Espero En Marte, led by Teresa Fernández-Valdés.
Lebrat will retain her position as chief operating officer (COO) and remain based in Canal+’s Paris headquarters. She joined the group in 2012 and became StudioCanal’s senior VP of English-language TV series in 2020 before being appointed COO of TV series in 2022.
Having been MD of StudioCanal Series, based in Munich since 2020, Loock retains responsibility for all German series and adds Poland, Scandinavia and the Benelux to his remit.
Loock, who joined the group in 2003, will now serve as the primary contact for producers under the StudioCanal umbrella based in the region.
He will continue to oversee the group’s developments in Asia, where StudioCanal recently announced a collaboration with Korean producer Mr Romance on a forthcoming adaptation of Jean-Pierre Melville’s classic film The Red Circle, as well as Red Butterfly, set in 1950’s Singapore, teaming up with Beach House and Momo. Loock joined the group in 2003.
Today’s development follows the recent appointment of Paul Gilbert as senior VP of English-language series.
Based in London, Gilbert will spearhead the development and production of a slate of series hailing from the UK and US, which StudioCanal will produce via its recently launched in-house producing arm, StudioCanal Television.
Additionally, he will work with the firm’s production companies, Urban Myth Films, The Picture Company, SunnyMarch, Strong Film & TV, Birdie Pictures and the recently announced Brock Media.
Gilbert is executive producing the political thriller Army of Shadows, recently ordered by Channel 4 and Canal+ and written by Ronan Bennett, which is due to start prep this autumn. He is also exec producer on Apollo Has Fallen which has just finished filming and is the second instalment in Canal+’s Has Fallen global hit franchise.
All three executives will continue to report to Kennedy, who joined the group last year.
Kennedy said: “This reorganisation should make clear to the market who their points of contact should be for series originating throughout European and worldwide territories. Each of the three regional heads will serve as the main liaison for producers within their respective regions, ensuring a more efficient and collaborative approach to series development and production.”
