StudioCanal sees 'incredible response' for African Safari 3D

Buyers are clamouring to go on Ben Stassen’s African Safari 3D. Midway through the market, StudioCanal’s International Sales Director Harold Van Lier is reporting “an incredible response” to the project - a big budget natural history feature doc made with state-of-the-art 3D equipment.

Following a presentation to buyers last Thursday, Van Lier confirmed that Itallian outfit Eagle has come on board as a coproducer. This week, there were bidding wars in several territories including South Korea, where prolific buyer Daisy took the film.

“It is extremely positive to see how they (the buyers) have responded to the originality of the project,” commented Van Lier.

Here in Berlin, StudioCanal has been screening first exclusive footage of John Le Carré adaptation, Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy. The film is now “sold out” in Europe and Van Lier is open discussions with US studios over the American rights to the film, starring Gary Oldman as spy George Smiley. Spain has closed here at the EFM with Deaplaneta.

“We are very satisfied with the level of pre-sales we’ve been doing on this film. Europe being sold out is a great achievement for us,” Van Lier said.

Meanwhile, by early Saturday at the EFM, StudioCanal has already closed three territories on Blackbird, the new film by Austria’s Stefan Ruzowitzky. It has gone to Canada (eOne), Australia (Hopscotch) and South Korea (UniKorea.)

StudioCanal has been showing a promo of Michel Ocelot’s Tales Of The Night, the animated 3D fairytale screening today in Competition.

“We have a very strong line-up and people have responded very well,” Van Lier said of the buyer response to StudioCanal’s EFM slate.