Olivier Courson to exit StudioCanal as part of shake-up.
French film giant StudioCanal has acquired 30% of French producer/distributor Mars Films, marking one of the first major acquisitions since Vincent Bolloré took the reins as chairman of Vivendi.
Mars chairman Stéphane Célérier has been appointed vice-chairman of StudioCanal as part of the deal and will chair a monthly development committee of industry execs.
In a further move, Didier Lupfer, the Canal+ Group evp in charge of cinema, has been appointed chairman of the StudioCanal.
This will see StudioCanal chairman and CEO Olivier Courson leave the group to “pursue an entrepreneurial project”.
The exec had been with Canal+ since 2003 and StudioCanal productions Courson developed included Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy; the Coen brothers’ Inside Llewyn Davis; Paddington; and upcoming release Macbeth.
A statement from the firm said: “Canal+ would like to thank warmly Olivier Courson, who is leaving the Group to pursue an entrepreneurial project, for helping to make StudioCanal the leading European studio.”
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