Cliffhanger-Lily-James

Source: Studiocanal

Lily James in ‘Cliffhanger’

Studiocanal flew the flag for independent studios at CineEurope with a chunky slate presentation on Tuesday (June 17), spotlighting a mix of local and international titles across a range of genres.  

The company billed itself as “Europe’s leading studio” in remarks by Hugh Spearing, EVP of global marketing and distribution. Spearing also trumpeted Studiocanal’s “best year ever” at the global box office, referring to a period across 2024 and the start of 2025, with titles including Paddington In Peru, We Live In Time and French hit Beating Hearts

The company is offering a “wide range of entertainment for diverse audiences”, said Spearing, with a “focus on European filmmakers and stories”. 

Highlights from the slate presentation included Pressure, telling the story of the D-Day Normandy invasion of 1944 from the perspective of the real-life British meteorologist (Andrew Scott) whose calculation would determine the exact date of the military mission. Brendan Fraser co-stars as US military commander Dwight D Eisenhower, and Anthony Maras directs. 

While Pressure looks like a classic historical drama targeting upscale cinema audiences and awards voters, Studiocanal’s slate also encompassed the horror, action and thriller genres. 

Cold-Storage

Source: Studiocanal

‘Cold Storage’

Amongst more genre-focused titles are Jonny Campbell’s David Koepp novel adaptation Cold Storage, which sees a pair of night-shift workers (Stranger Things’ Joe Keery and Georgina Campbell) save humanity from a deadly fungus; Robert Schwentke’s Control, starring James McAvoy as a man who must obey the voice planted inside his head (Julianne Moore) to save his family; Jaume Collet-Serra’s new take on Cliffhanger starring Lily James; sequel Evil Dead Burn; Eli Roth’s Ice Cream Man; and Christmas slasher Silent Night, Deadly Night, based on the 1984 cult classic. 

Among Studiocanal’s family film lineup is the company’s first Australian local production Kangaroo, inspired by the story of a real-life animal sanctuary, and Aardman’s Shaun The Sheep: The Beast Of Mossy Bottom

Not every Studiocanal local production makes significant inroads in other markets, but Les Miserables, based on Victor Hugo’s classic novel (not the stage musical), looks likely to have broad international appeal. The cast includes Vincent Lindon, Tahar Rahim and Camille Cottin, and Fred Cavayé directs. 

The French slate also includes Violette from Jean-Pierre Jeunet, adapted from Valérie Perrin’s 2018 bestselling novel Fresh Water For Flowers

The penultimate title in the presentation was I Swear, from director Kirk Jones, telling the true story of Tourette’s sufferer John Davidson who faced intolerance and misunderstanding before becoming a campaigner and educator on behalf of the condition. Maxine Peake, Shirley Henderson and Peter Mullan star. 

The Studiocanal session concluded with a look at the latest collaboration with the UK’s Blueprint Pictures, which has the working title Huntington. John Patton Ford writes and directs the revenge thriller about a disinherited man (Glen Powell) who must slay seven relatives to claim his inheritance back. Powell sent a message, calling the film dark, stylish, twisted and a whole lot of fun, as well as one that keeps you guessing until the end. 

Studiocanal upcoming titles:

Pressure 
Dir. Anthony Maras
2026

Josephine Baker
Dir. Maïmouna Doucouré 
In advanced development 

Control
Dir. Robert Schwentke 
2026  

Cliffhanger
Dir. Jaume Collet-Serra 
2026  

Cold Storage
Dir. Jonny Campbell 
2026

Kangaroo
Dir. Kate Woods 
2025/2026 

Shaun The Sheep: The Beast Of Mossy Bottom
Dirs. Steve Cox, Matthew Walker 
Halloween 2026  

The Desert Child
Dir. Gilles de Maistre  
2026  

Evil Dead Burn
Dir. Sébastien Vanicek 
2026 (UK)  

Ice Cream Man
Dir. Eli Roth
2026 

Silent Night, Deadly Night
Dir. Mike P Nelson
Christmas 2025  

Dog 51
Dir. Cédric Jimenez 
2025

Violette
Dir. Jean-Pierre Jeunet
2026

Les Miserables
Dir. Fred Cavayé 
2026 

Guru
Dir. Yann Gozlan
2026 

I Swear 
Dir. Kirk Jones
2025 (UK)  

Huntington (working title) 
Dir. John Patton Ford 
TBC