Studiocanal has acquired a majority stake in leading Benelux film production and distribution firm Dutch FilmWorks,.
Studiocanal CEO Anna Marsh said the deal would realise an ambition to “produce first class European content out of Benelux, which will captivate audiences worldwide”.
Dutch FilmWorks was launched in 1998 and produces and distributes more than 25 films a year, building a catalogue of over 900 Dutch and international features. Titles include The Claus Family franchise, Pirates Down The Street and My Best Friend Anne Frank as well as local releases of The Wolf Of Wall Street and The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard.
Studiocanal, the film and TV arm of French pay-TV giant the Canal+ Group, said the acquisition formed part of its aim to consolidate its position in European content with international potential.
In a statement, the company said Dutch FilmWorks would benefit from Studiocanal’s international network, distribution capacities and catalogue of content. Its management team of CEO Willem Pruijssers, co-CEO Marcel De Block and COO René van Turnhout remains unchanged as well as its oprational structure.
Pruijssers said the move offered “the opportunity to be part of a European powerhouse with global reach and to maintain our autonomy in Benelux”.
“After 25 years working as an independent, it is an exciting step but with many opportunities for growth, including more possibilities to bring Dutch and Flemish content to an international audience,” he added.
Studiocanal’s European production firms include Red Production Company, Urban Myth Films and SunnyMarch TV in the UK; Tadem Productions in Germany; Scandinavia’s Sam Productions; and Spain’s Bambu Producciones.
No comments yet