{"id":282921,"date":"2025-11-14T01:19:08","date_gmt":"2025-11-14T01:19:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/282921\/"},"modified":"2025-11-14T01:19:08","modified_gmt":"2025-11-14T01:19:08","slug":"studiocanals-anna-marsh-on-paddington-african-content-and-theatrical","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/282921\/","title":{"rendered":"Studiocanal’s Anna Marsh on Paddington, African Content and Theatrical"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n\tAnna Marsh, the New Zealand-born chief of Studiocanal, hasn\u2019t had much time to rest on her laurels since putting on an extra hat as chief content officer for Canal+ Group<\/a> in March.<\/p>\n

\n\tIt\u2019s been an action-packed year for the Paris-headquartered company which was listed at the London Stock Exchange last December and has recently completed a $2 billion takeover of South African pay TV company Multichoice, as well as the acquisition of a 34-percent stake in UGC, the Paris-headquartered film studio that operates one of France\u2019s leading cinema chains.<\/p>\n

\n\tWith her international background, strong ties with the global film community and knowledge of the independent film world, the level-headed Marsh has become a pivotal figure within the company she first joined in 2008, and has worked closely with Canal+ Group chairman Maxime Saada on these high-stake strategic moves.<\/p>\n

\n\tIn an interview with Variety on the eve of the American Film Market, Marsh said Canal+ Group is no longer simply a production and distribution arm \u2014 it\u2019s become a central nervous system inside one of Europe\u2019s most global media machines. While it\u2019s getting into the French exhibition business with UGC, Marsh revealed that the company is also exploring distribution operations in new territories besides France, the U.K., Germany\/Austria, Poland, Spain and Australia\/New Zealand.Canal+ \u2014 which once looked like a French premium channel \u2014 \u201cis now in 70 countries with 40 million subscribers, so it\u2019s a great scale,\u201d she says. <\/p>\n

\n\tIn recent years, the company has shifted to full-scale production, financing, and multi-territory distribution, particularly in the English-language space. The group, which comprises 19 production labels, invested \u20ac3.9 billion in content in 2024 with 200 films financed and distributed each year by the group and \u20ac200 million invested annually in the production of films and TV series. \u201cWe have the financial muscles \u2014 if we believe in a movie, we get behind it,\u201d she says. The banner is also France\u2019s biggest financier of local movies and is partnering up with ambitious filmmakers, from C\u00e9dric Klapisch (\u201cColours of Tim\u201d) to Jean-Pierre Jeunet (\u201cChangez l\u2019eau des fleurs\u201d), C\u00e9dric Jimenez (\u201cDog 51\u201d), Gilles Lellouche (\u201cBeating Hearts\u201d) and Quentin Dupieux, whose next movie \u201cFull Phil\u201d stars Kristen Stewart and Woody Harrelson.<\/p>\n

\n\tMarsh points out that although some industry observers still perceive Canal+ as mainly European, it\u2019s in fact \u201cbecome a very global company\u201d which is no longer dominantly French-speaking. That change in the company\u2019s demographics is shaping the content strategy, notably in Africa, where Marsh says the ambition stretches beyond French-speaking markets. There, the focus , she says, is \u201cparticularly English-speaking and Portuguese-speaking Africa, in addition to the French-speaking markets where the group is already very strong.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tFor Marsh, Africa is not a sales market \u2014 it\u2019s a creative partner. \u201cThere is a huge ambition for local storytelling,\u201d she says, \u201cbut also stories that travel, that can become global IP.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tThat philosophy is already materializing with Studiocanal\u2019s first co-production with MultiChoice\u2019s brand M-Net. The project, which is shooting in Cape Town, underscores the banner\u2019s ambition to build premium African franchises for a global audience.<\/p>\n

\n\tEnglish-language films and series represent another strong strategic axis that Marsh has been spearheading for the last five or six years. But the scale has notably accelerated, both in ambition and in slate visibility, she says, citing the Amy Winehouse movie \u201cBack to Black,\u201d \u201cWe Live in Time,\u201d starring Florence Pugh and Andrew Garfield, the family blockbuster \u201cPaddington in Peru,\u201d and Danny Boyle\u2019s highly anticipated \u201cInk,\u201d about media mogul Rupert Murdoch\u2019s early career.<\/p>\n

\n\tStudiocanal\u2019s expertise and track record in theatrical distribution is another competitive advantage that most of its European counterparts don\u2019t have. \u201cWe\u2019re active in seven territories, which means when we do local distribution, we can push the box office further,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

\n\tBesides movies, Marsh has also scaled up Studiocanal\u2019s pipeline of English-language shows with key hires such as M-K Kennedy, who joined from Netflix in 2024, and worked on Studiocanal\u2019s first in-house international series, \u201cParis Has Fallen.\u201d\u201cSeason one sold everywhere, and it was number one on Amazon in the UK, and very strong on Hulu in the U.S,\u201d she says of \u201cParis Has Fallen.\u201d Marsh said the second installment of the anthology, \u201cApollo Has Fallen\u201d \u2013 whose plot unfolds everywhere from the Libyan coast to the streets of Madrid \u2013 has wrapped filming and will air next year. \u201cWe are currently working on season three,\u201d she said. The banner produces and distributes roughly between 15 and 20 shows per year.<\/p>\n

\n\tStudiocanal\u2019s strength also lies on its 9400-title library \u2013 Europe\u2019s largest \u2013 which Marsh seeks to exploit. Among other projects, the company is developing \u201cThe Avengers,\u201d adapted from the iconic \u201cChapeau Melon et Bottes de Cuir,\u201d for an international audience, and has already enlisted a big pay-TV partner, revealed Marsh who\u2019s attending the AFM where Studiocanal\u2019s robust slate includes \u201cInk,\u201d starring Guy Pearce and Jack O\u2019Connell; \u201cThe Sanctuary\u201d by Xavier Gens; \u201cWoodwalkers 2;\u201d \u201cEverybody Wants to F** Me*\u201d with LuckyChap starring Taron Egerton; and \u201cThe Midnight Library\u201d with Blueprint Pictures.<\/p>\n

\n\tHere\u2019s a Q&A based on our conversation: <\/p>\n

\n\tYour role recently evolved \u2014 what are your new responsibilities as CCO of Canal+ Group?<\/p>\n

\n\tSince March, Maxime has given me the role of Chief Content Officer outside of sport for the Canal+ Group, which is a real honor and an opportunity as well for StudioCanal to be brought into the heart of the content strategy of the group, where more and more we\u2019re looking to produce in-house for our in-house clients. Canal+ is present in 70 countries with roughly 40 million subscribers. As a studio, it\u2019s an absolute joy \u2014 we\u2019re very lucky to be in that ecosystem where our audience is extremely clear and our customers are down the hall.\u00a0<\/p>\n

How does Africa fit into your content strategy?
There are so many stories to be told in Africa, a lot of fantastic IP, some real talent. I was lucky enough to meet some of the close producers of MultiChoice when I was in Johannesburg last week, and I was really impressed with their energy, with their vision, with their agility. I think the quality of storytelling there is very strong and has real potential to grow, and I think we can learn and grow together. I really want to find strong African stories that have global resonance as well. I believe that there are already some bubbling. We\u2019ve got one series in particular that we are going to announce soon that we\u2019re already developing with M-Net and even shooting down in South Africa, in Cape Town, where there are a lot of really wonderful studios. We shot Glenn Powell\u2019s movie, \u201cHuntington\u201d there and that was just an absolutely wonderful experience that we are planning on replicating. Also, there\u2019s a real opportunity to lean into English-speaking and Portuguese-speaking Africa to complete our French-speaking African footprint, because there are more English-speaking subscribers now within the group than non-English. It\u2019s important to recognize we\u2019re a true global company.<\/p>\n

\n\tThat\u2019s why StudioCanal has expanded in English-language production so much.
That mirrors how StudioCanal has evolved in the last 5\u20136 years. Whether it\u2019s the \u201cBack to Black,\u201d the Amy Winehouse movie, \u201cWe Live in Time,\u201d \u201cPaddington in Peru\u201d or \u201cInk\u201d that we\u2019re shooting with Danny Boyle \u2014 we\u2019re ramping up English-language production and distributing successfully around the world. Because we have direct distribution in over seven territories, it enables us to push local box office further. For example, 50% of \u201cPaddington in Peru\u201d\u2019s global box office came from StudioCanal territories. \u201cWe Live in Time\u201d found $72 million worldwide, the lion\u2019s share from our territories. We want to be at the forefront of creating content that will attract someone to Canal+ and push them to subscribe.\u00a0<\/p>\n

You\u2019re also making big English-language series now. What\u2019s next for \u201cParis Has Fallen\u201d?
Season one was sold everywhere and broadcast successfully, for example on Amazon in the UK and Hulu in the US. We\u2019ve just wrapped shoot on season two, which will broadcast next year, and we\u2019re developing season three. We\u2019re able to continue development independent of the channel, but it must be a healthy relationship \u2014 we never enforce anything onto our colleagues.\u00a0<\/p>\n

You have a massive library. How are you working with it to build new franchises?
We are developing \u201cThe Avengers,\u201d an adaptation of \u201cChapeau Melon et Bottes de Cuir,\u201d as a TV series with a global pay-TV partner. We\u2019re making season one, but we definitely have ambitions to turn that into a recurring franchise. We\u2019re developing \u201cL\u2019Arm\u00e9e des Ombres\u201d with Ronan Bennett, set in a dystopian UK, shooting next year. We are turning \u201cThe Red Circle\u201d into a TV series, set in Busan, Korea. And in Africa, we\u2019re developing new stories with local partners.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Is your integrated model compatible with working with Netflix?
Yes. Netflix is definitely a really important client. We make a lot of TV with them. We\u2019ve got 19 production companies in the Canal Plus group. Those companies, whilst Canal is a really important client, doesn\u2019t preclude us from working with everybody. We definitely have a wide portfolio of clients, including Netflix.<\/p>\n

Has Canal+ being publicly listed changed your content strategy?
We continue to invest as much, if not more, than we always have. We are making more and more series and movies. We\u2019re careful with budgets. A movie like \u201cWe Live in Time\u201d was between \u20ac10 and \u20ac15 million and made \u20ac80 million at the box office \u2014 it was exceptional. We could have made it for three times more, but we knew we didn\u2019t need to. We approach things pragmatically and stretch budgets as far as possible. Ultimately, content remains extremely important.\u00a0<\/p>\n

How do you balance creative ambition with that budget discipline?
We fall in love with a script, then step back and apply the figures. We value movies territory by territory. We don\u2019t pull numbers out of thin air. Sometimes it takes a long time to greenlight a film because we\u2019re so granular in how we value it. The key to long-term survival in this business is making a movie for the right price.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Are more American producers approaching StudioCanal these days because the indie market in the U.S. is much more difficult?
Yes, definitely. More openness to co-produce and distribute than ever. With recent successes I hope they see a standard of quality, and we don\u2019t rush things. We also have the financial muscles \u2014 if we believe in a movie, we get behind it.\u00a0For instance, next year, we\u2019ve got a really exciting movie, \u201cPressure,\u201d that we did with Eric Fellner at Working Title, starring Andrew Scott, Brendan Fraser, and Kerry Condon.
That is going to be a really major event for us in 2026. We are very proud and fortunate to be partnering with Focus Features on it. And \u201cHuntington\u201d with our friend Glenn Powell that\u2019s also going to be a major event. We\u2019re locking arms with A24 who have the US and we\u2019ve got the rest of the world. <\/p>\n

\n\tYou\u2019ve really built a big profile as a purveyor of family entertainment with \u201cPaddington\u201d and other IP\u2019s. What do you have in store?
Yes, big, strong family, local IP is an extremely important pillar. We are developing the next Asterix live-action movie in France, and in Germany, we have \u201cWoodwalkers.\u201d In Australia, \u201cKangaroo\u201d was the biggest local movie of 2025. We\u2019re also developing a new Paddington TV series and we are developing an animated \u201cPaddington\u201d movie. And we\u2019re working on ideas for the next live movie (\u201cPaddington 4\u201d). We also have a new store at the Savoy Hotel in London and the musical is live in the West End.\u00a0We\u2019re also developing a \u201cPippi Longstocking\u201d TV series and a live-action movie with Heyday and the Lindgren family. It\u2019s in development and we hope to announce talent soon.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\tGenre is another area of interest for Studiocanal.
Yes, we launched a label called Sixth Dimension, which is run by Jed Benedict. Our first release is a small film called \u201cSilent Night, Dead Night\u201d which will be released around Christmas. It\u2019s a Christmas slasher movie, which is adapted from this B-Movie back in the \u201980s, but it\u2019s very cool. We also acquired Eli Roth\u2019s \u201cIce Cream Man\u201d for our Territories. We\u2019ve got 5-10 developments that Jed is working on some really big IP and some smaller high concept ideas with talented filmmakers. The international market really like these movies if you can make them for the right price.<\/p>\n

Canal+ now owns 34% of UGC which is a leading cinema chain in France. what does that mean for the group and your strategy?
The deal for 34% is done. It\u2019s a minority stake, no operational role, no leadership change \u2014 we\u2019re passive investors. It reinforces our absolute commitment to cinema. Films must be released theatrically. Theatrical creates the event, strengthens performance later on Canal+, home entertainment and catalog value.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\tIs Canal+ Group considering investing in exhibition outside of France?<\/p>\n

\n\tNever say never!<\/p>\n

What about launching theatrical distribution in a new market?
There are expansion plans in a new territory similar to what we have in Benelux, Germany, and the UK that we\u2019ll be able to announce soon.\u00a0<\/p>\n

What\u2019s your biggest priority as a content leader right now?
It\u2019s about identifying stories that can travel, accompanying talent, protecting local specificity, and balancing local and global. We have to be on our toes more than ever.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Anna Marsh, the New Zealand-born chief of Studiocanal, hasn\u2019t had much time to rest on her laurels since…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":282922,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[27],"tags":[64,63,106975,134,344],"class_list":{"0":"post-282921","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-movies","8":"tag-au","9":"tag-australia","10":"tag-canal-group","11":"tag-entertainment","12":"tag-movies"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/282921","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=282921"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/282921\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/282922"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=282921"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=282921"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=282921"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}