Studiocanal has acquired a majority stake in Italian production, distribution, sales and exhibition outfit Lucky Red.
The deal marks a major step into the Italian market by Studiocanal, and adds to its European footprint, which includes France, the UK, Ireland, Germany, Austria, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg and Poland.
Studiocanal, part of Canal+, paid a reported €26.6m for a 51% stake in Lucky Red.
Lucky Red’s Andrea Occhipinti, who co-founded the business in 1987 with the late Kermit Smith, retains the remaining 49% in the business.
Studiocanal and Lucky Red have previously partnered on numerous films, including upcoming drama Elsinore, starring Andrew Scott and Olivia Colman. Occhipinti is one of the film’s producers, while Lucky Red handles distribution in Italy.
Lucky Red is one of Italy’s leading arthouse distributors, whose slate includes Sentimental Value, Nouvelle Vague, No Other Choice, and It Was Just An Accident.
According to official Cinetel figures, Lucky Red was the eighth biggest distributor in Italy in 2025 with box office revenues of €23.9m.
Among Lucky Red’s productions are Netflix series Belcanto. It was a co-producer of Robin Campillo’s Enzo and Christophe Honoré’s Marcello Mio.
Lucky Red also has a joint-venture sales operation, True Colours, in partnership with Italy’s Indigo Film, and is the majority owner of Italian cinema chain Circuito Cinema, which has 40 cinemas and 126 screens, including several theatres in Rome, Florence and Bologna.
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