News

Mediawan’s newly launched banner StoryNation Productions label is kicking off with a pair of internationally driven shows based on hit IP’s, “Escort Boys” and “Hot Ones.”

The company was created last year by two well-established producers, Charlotte Toledano Detaille and Jean-Paul Géronimi who both previously worked at Lagardere Studios which is now part of Mediawan.

Ordered by Amazon Prime Video, “Escort Boys” marks the TV debut of Ruben Alves, the filmmaker of the “Gilded Cage” and “Miss.” StoryNation is producing the series with Myriam Gharbi de Vasselot at Oberkampf Productions, another Mediawan group label.

“Escort Boys” is loosely based on the Israeli series “Johnny and the Knights of the Galilee,” produced by Yes Studios, and by created by Dani Rosenberg and Tom Shoval.

The anticipated six-part French adaptation shot in the South of France with a cast of up-and-comers and fresh faces including Guillaume Labbé, Thibaut Evrard, Simon Ehrlacher,...

France’s Autour de Minuit, Fklg and Canal Plus are teaming to co-produce Théo Grosjean’s “Freaked Out” (“Flippé”), an animated series for adults whose first season was presented – and received an upbeat reception – at September’s Toulouse’s Cartoon Forum.

The producers are currently in talks to greenlight a second season.

The two-minute episode comedy series adapts “The World’s Most Anxious Man,” Grosjean’s autobiographical graphic novel, which revolves around a man’s everyday modern life: Subways, carpooling, parties, taking the plane. Everything sparks a panic attack in his over active mind, which is capable of imagining the worst scenarios for all kinds of situations.

“We were instantly convinced by Grosjean’s talent, loved his humor and his resonance with the zeitgeist. The character embodies a reluctance to abide by the prescriptions of our society, that obsesses over performance and achievement, deifies self-confidence and urges people to exhibit their dream evenings,...

Amazon has greenlit a French version of their hit Japanese format Hitoshi Matsumoto Presents Documental, in which comedians compete to try and get each other to laugh while keeping a straight face themselves.

French actor and comedian Philippe Lacheau (Alibi.com) will present the French version, Lol: Tu ris, Tu perds (Lol: Last One Laughing), pitting 10 famous French comedians against one in a competition for a €100,000 ($119,000) donation to their favorite charity.

The competing comedians include Tarek Boudali, Inès Reg, Julien Arruti, Reem Kherici, Alexandra Lamy, Gérard Jugnot, Kyan Khojandi, Bérengère Krief, Hakim Jemily, and Fadily Camara.

Endemol ...

Amazon has greenlit a French version of their hit Japanese format Hitoshi Matsumoto Presents Documental, in which comedians compete to try and get each other to laugh while keeping a straight face themselves.

French actor and comedian Philippe Lacheau (Alibi.com) will present the French version, Lol: Tu ris, Tu perds (Lol: Last One Laughing), pitting 10 famous French comedians against one in a competition for a €100,000 ($119,000) donation to their favorite charity.

The competing comedians include Tarek Boudali, Inès Reg, Julien Arruti, Reem Kherici, Alexandra Lamy, Gérard Jugnot, Kyan Khojandi, Bérengère Krief, Hakim Jemily, and Fadily Camara.

Endemol ...

Charades, the sales company behind the Oscar-nominated animated film “I Lost My Body,” has boarded three new French films, “Madeleine Collins” with Virginie Efira, as well as the comedies “Felicita” and “The Speech.”

Charades will be introducing the three titles at the UniFrance Rendez-Vous with French Cinema, an industry showcase of local movies kicking off on Jan. 16.

“Madeleine Collins” is a psychological drama directed by Antoine Barraud and headlined by Efira, the popular Belgian actress of Justine Triet’s “Victoria” and “Sibyl,” as well as Paul Verhoeven’s anticipated “Benedetta.”

Efira (pictured) stars in “Madeleine Collins” as Judith who leads a double life between Switzerland and France. In one country, she lives with Abdel with whom she raises a little girl, and in another country she lives with Melvil with whom she has two older boys. Judith gets slowly embroiled in a web of lies and secrets, leading her balancing act to explode dangerously.

Benjamin Lavernhe and Sara Giraudeau play lead roles in this work produced by Les Films sur Mesure and sold by Charades, whose cast also includes Kyan Khojandi, Julia Piaton and François Morel. Laurent Tirard’s 8th feature film, Le Discours, has just wrapped its six-week film shoot in Paris. It’s a new comedy by a filmmaker who has often struck an impressive balance between artistic quality and respectable box-office results, as demonstrated by The Story of My Life, Molière (1.2 million viewers in France in 2007 and four nominations at the 2008 César Awards), Little Nicholas (5.5 million admissions in France in 2009), Asterix and Obelix: God Save Britannia (3.8 million viewers in 2012), Nicholas on Holiday (2.4 million admissions in 2014), Up For Love and Return of the Hero (816,000...

Apple has acquired English-language remake rights to the French short-form series “Calls” which was commissioned by Canal Plus in France.

Created by Timothée Hochet, “Calls” is an innovative and suspenseful series allowing audiences to experience short stories through real-life audio sources and minimal visuals. Each 10-minute episode features audio recording found after mysterious tragic events.

On top of the remake rights, Apple has also acquired the first season of the French original which showcases voices of well-known actors including Camille Cottin (“Call My Agent!), Marina Foïs (“L’Atelier”), Mathieu Kassovitz (“The Bureau”), Kyan Khojandi (“Bref”), Jérémie Rénier (“My Way”), Gaspard Ulliel (“Saint Laurent”).

“Calls” was produced by Lorenzo Benedetti’s Studio Bagel for Canal Plus which co-developed and co-produced the series through its new label Creation Decalée. The series won the Mipformat prize at MipTV in April.

Apple will be partnering up with Canal Plus on the remake version of “Calls.

My Box Prods., the Paris-based company behind hit short-format series “Bref” and the critically acclaimed documentary “A voix haute,” is upping the ante with several uplifting documentaries, a “Serge le Mytho” feature spinoff and a drama series.

The company, founded by French siblings Harry and Anna Tordjman, is set to produce three new high-concept, highly cinematic documentaries, including Marine Barnérias’s “Rosy,” Mathias Pardo’s “Just Kids” and Coline Abert’s “Last Dance.”

Lensed by rising cinematographer Paavo Hanninen, “Last Dance” explores the world of Vinsantos Defonte, an icon of the U.S. drag scene in New Orleans. For more than 20 years, Defonte has been performing and teaching the art of transformation at the New Orleans Drag Workshop, driven by his political and artistic engagement. As he’s getting ready to retire due to health problems, Vinsantos has one last dream: to put on a final show in Paris.

French...

For his first feature, Julien Rappeneau (son of legendary French director Jean-Paul Rappeneau) has turned to the acclaimed graphic novels of Camille Jourdy for inspiration. The comedy Rosalie Blum follows a thirty-something hairdresser who becomes intrigued by a mysterious woman that enters his life, and so begins a tale of coincidences.

Ahead of a release in France later next month, we’re pleased to exclusively debut the English-language trailer, which highlights a joyful and funny comedy that will hopefully land on the radars of U.S. distributors. In the meantime, those in France can check it out beginning on March 23rd and others can expect it to land at film festivals in the coming months.

Check out the exclusive trailer, images, poster, and synopsis below for the film starring Noémie Lvovsky, Kyan Khojandi, Alice Isaaz, Anémone, and Philippe Rebbot.

Julien Rappeneau’s enchanting directorial debut Rosalie Blum is a warm,...

Julien Neel is set to to direct "Lou! le journal infime," a live-action film based on his French comic creation "Lou!" for Studiocanal.

The comic has sold two million copies in 19 countries. Neel co-wrote the script with Marc Syrigas.

The story follows a a creative and lively 12-year old girl named Lou (Lola Lasseron) who lives alone with her mother, Emma.

Emma has put her personal life to one side to concentrate on her daughter. Meanwhile, Lou has a crush on her neighbor Tristan.

Everything changes when Emma starts a new relationship and Lou's first kiss catapults her into adolescence.

Ludivine Sagnier, Kyan Khojandi and Nathalie Baye also star. Filming runs from October 28th to January 17th in Paris ahead of a release next Octobr.

Source: Screen Daily...

Studiocanal to co-produce, distribute and sell feature adaptation of French comicbook.

Julien Neel is to direct a live-action film based on his comic creation, Lou!, which has sold 2 million copies in 19 countries.

Studiocanal has boarded the project, titled Lou! le journal infime, as co-producer and will handle distribution rights and international sales.

The first time director has co-written the screenplay with Marc Syrigas, and the film will star Ludivine Sagnier, Kyan Khojandi, Nathalie Baye and Lola Lasseron in the part of Lou.

Lou is described as “a creative and lively 12-year old girl”. She lives alone with her mother, Emma, who has put her personal life to one side to concentrate on her daughter. But the cracks start to show as Emma begins to feel down, while Lou has a crush on her neighbor Tristan and starts neglecting her friends. Everything changes when Emma starts a new relationship and Lou’s first kiss catapults her into the...