Studiocanal Sells ‘The Night Logan Woke Up,’ ‘The Vow,’ First Docs as It Launches ‘Of Money and Blood,’ ‘The Trigger’ at Mipcom (EXCLUSIVE)
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European powerhouse Studiocanal, part of Vivendi’s Canal+ Group, has rolled out robust sales on Xavier Dolan’s Sundance-selected psychological thriller “The Night Logan Woke Up,” Spanish period drama “The Vow” and a bevy of first documentaries.
The deals underscore the continuing upside for Studiocanal of illustrious cinema talent exploring premium TV direction, as well as the company’s beneficial diversification into documentary sales and daily series.
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A Sundance world premiere and Canal+ original based on Michel Marc Bouchard’s play “La Nuit où Laurier Gaudreault s’est réveille,” “The Night Logan Woke Up” has sold to Netflix for the U.S., Star Channel Japan, SBS Australia, Filmin for Spain and Portugal and WDR Germany, among major territories.
Among a slew of deals, “Logan,” which marks the first TV series from Cannes Jury Prize-winning Quebecois actor-director Dolan, has also been licensed by Studiocanal to BeTV Belgium, Lumiere Benelux, LTV Latvia, Canal+ Poland, ANT1+ Greece RTP Portugal, Canal+ Austria, SRF Switzerland and BLUTV Turkey.
“The series is travelling very well following its world premiere at Sundance. We’re very pleased about those territories coming on board, and also the quality of the platforms and channels we’ve managed to secure,” said Beatriz Campos, SVP global sales and production financing, Studiocanal.
News of the sales on Dolan’s first TV work comes as Studiocanal bows a Mipcom sales slate led by the buzzed up big scale “Of Money and Blood,” from Xavier Giannoli and again his first TV series, as well as “The Trigger,” a series which has pretty well flown under the radar from “The Intouchables” producer Quad and “Baron Noir’s” director Ziad Doueiri and creator Eric Benzekri.
With Studiocanal boarding “Another Round” creator Thomas Vinterberg’s “Families Like Ours,” his first TV drama, having distributed his Academy Award-winner “Another Round.”
Studiocanal is working ever more on directors’ film-to-TV crossovers, following key talent.
“We are very excited to continue this journey with directors, writing talent and cast from both film and television, because we have worked successfully on both sides ourselves for a long time now,” Anne Chérel, EVP global sales and distribution, Studiocanal, told Variety.
“Good stories can be developed for both film and television. That’s why talent is also working from one format to another. It makes perfect sense and allows us to deliver quality entertainment to audiences worldwide across all formats.”
Further Studiocanal deals revealed to Variety on the eve of Mipcom highlight a second trend: Studiocanal’s robust diversification, both into factual, where it launched its first doc slate at Mipcom last year, and into premium daily series, such as “The Vow,” its second.
‘The Vow’
A co-production between Studiocanal and RTVE in Spain, “The Vow” is created by Josep Cister (“Two Lives”) and produced by Bambú Producciones (“Velvet,” “Cable Girls”).
Unspooling against stunning landscapes and heritage sites in Southern Spain in 1913, and a period mystery drama and upstairs-downstairs love story, “The Vow” has closed new sales to HRT Croatia, KTV Kosovo, LRT Lithuania, Dori Media Israel and YLE Finland, adding to the previously announced deal with Mediaset Italy.
Acclaimed as the jewel in the crown of Spanish public broadcaster RTVE, which confirmed in June a 250-episode (sic) third season as it builds ever more its time slot winning share, “The Vow” is “so very well produced and very addictive and engaging,” said Campos.
“Josep Cister, creator of the series, has such an understanding of the market. He was convinced about why this story needed to be told and the way it needed to be told. ‘The Vow’ is so incredibly successful and with Season 3 currently in production.”
As on other series, Studiocanal – and Bambú, which has a long reputation for production standards, dating back to “Grand Hotel” – looks to be outclassing the opposition.
“The co-production model on daily series has not been explored a lot but we embrace this opportunity,” said Campos. “Our collective financial support helps to elevate the project to a more premium quality which also gives the daily series the look and feel and the attention to detail you want as a viewer, from those exteriors to subtle technical elements that make this series truly special and cinematic.”
“I’m convinced we’ll have discussions and interest from FAST channels because of the show, its quality, and 500-plus episodes,” Chérel added.
Sales on ‘The Wonders of Europe’ and Other Documentaries
Studiocanal’s prime time documentary slate has continued to expand since its official launch at Mipcom last year, as it reaps the first fruit in sales.
Season 1 of ”The Wonders of Europe,” which tells the story of the people who built some of the biggest and most unique landmarks in Europe, has been acquired by SBS Australia, DR Denmark, Rai Italy, RTVE Spain, RTP Portugal, Dubai Media MENA, RTV Slovenia and Sky Arts NZ.
A big-budget series, mixing reconstruction and talking heads, and complex 3D-style CGI to framing the foundation and physical development stories down the decades, “Wonders of Europe” has been greenlit for a further two seasons. Hugh Bonneville narrates the English-language version.
“As David Attenborough is to blue chip nature, Hugh Bonneville is to history. We are so delighted to continue our work with Hugh outside the beloved Paddington franchise and we love this series and the discoveries therein,” said Chérel.
Offering immersive fictional scenes, historical docudrama “Rise of the Vikings” has sold to AMC Networks International Southern Europe, RTL+ for its GeoTV channel in Germany and TV5 in French-speaking Canada.
RTL in French-speaking Belgium, BluTV Turkey and Movistar+ in Spain have pounced on “Narco Circus,” directed by investigative journalist Romain Bolzinger. “Black Coast Vanishings,” a true crime series from New Zealand, on which word is good, has now been acquired by DR Denmark and RTL Crime in Germany.
“What’s common to our film slate and Mipcom lineup is the diversity and eclecticism,” said Chérel.
“We’re incredibly excited to have such a diverse slate at Mipcom. While titles come in different languages and genres, they are accessible, relatable and entertaining/engaging. We endeavour to be as demanding in TV as in film, having the best production and creative standards in each category, we continue to be ambitious in everything we do” she added.
Those looking to trace Studiocanal’s growing, global ambitions need to look no further than this year’s Mipcom slate, which showcases 10 series, performed in five languages, that encompass eight genres.
Some live action highlights:
“Of Money and Blood”
After premiering at the Venice Film Festival earlier this fall to an enthusiastic reception and one of the two TV shows highlighted out of competition, the Canal+ original “Of Money and Blood” marks “Lost Illusions” director Xavier Giannoli’s first scripted drama. Director driven – Giannoli helmed all episodes to cinema standards – it is backed by his longtime movie producer Olivier Dubosc at Curiosa Films.
High-end, “Of Money and Blood” brings together a powerhouse cast that includes Vincent Lindon (“Titane”), also in the Cannes best actor winner’s first TV work, Niels Schneider (“Coup de Chance”) and Olga Kurylenko (“Quantum of Solace”). The propulsive 12-part globetrotting thriller tells the true story of one of the biggest financial swindles of the 21st century, a multi-layered carbon tax fraud.
Studiocanal is targeting the U.S., Spain and Italy for early sales.
“It’s unbelievable that this series is inspired by true events which makes it really, really attractive,” Campos said. “We were so proud to premiere the series in its entirety at the Venice Film Festival some weeks ago and to see the series continue to flourish.”
“The Trigger”
From the team behind iconic Canal+ series “Baron Noir,” “The Trigger” toplines “Petite Maman” star Nina Meurisse as it explores the political and racial tensions of contemporary France through the lens of a crisis management firm tasked with a uniquely volatile soccer-world case.
“The Trigger” “will feature first class writing and some elements that make you question the reality of what you are watching. I think it’s in the creator’s DNA when he does this type of story,” Chérel said of Benzekri.
“Black Daisies”
Among Variety’s choice of best shows at Mipcom, “Black Daisies,” from Canal+ Poland, is a big-budget mystery thriller, combining supernatural elements and the emotional struggles of a woman trying to save her daughter’s future, even if it means having to reconcile with her own past.
“With a number of thrillers launching – including by Studiocanal – the market is demanding something that is unique and stands out,” Campos said. “In ‘Black Daisies,’ you’re gripped by the story, because it has reliable thriller elements to draw you in. But it brings additional layers to the mystery and has the mother-daughter relationship. The script and relationship dynamic makes this series both special and unpredictable.”
A basketball doc, following the life of the new French NBA phenom, ’Wembanyama’ “is a really good example of a documentary that delivers – even if you are not familiar with the draft system or even basketball, you’re just fascinated by his character, his journey and maturity being so young, and his life; an incredible story that on the outside seems crazy,” said Campos.
It’s also a family drama. “He will go far, in part because of the family support he gets,” Campos added.
“Streaming services are investing in premium documentaries, it’s something the market is demanding when it comes to factual,” said Chérel. “The challenge for Canal+ is to find the right angle to make docs for a broader audience – and to reach that audience,” she noted.
Marta Balaga contributed to this report.
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