Anna Marsh STUDIOCANAL

By Mansha Daswani

STU DIOCANAL CEO Anna Marsh discussed attracting and nurturing talent and navigating a challenging media ecosystem in her Media Mastermind keynote conversation at MIPTV with World Screen’s Anna Carugati, using the session to unveil How to Stop Time with Benedict Cumberbatch and the company’s investment in Strong Film & Television.

STUDIOCANAL’s heritage is in film, a sector of the media business that remains crucial to the company, but it has dramatically expanded its television output over the last decade. “We’ve been investing quite heavily in building a network of production companies across Europe,” said Marsh, who also serves as deputy CEO of CANAL+ Group. “I do feel like the bubble somewhat has burst; we were enjoying a really wonderful time of productions that were greenlit 20 WORLD SCREEN 6/23 after very short development periods. It seems like some of those development periods are stretching out; a lot of developments aren’t necessarily getting over the hump and getting greenlit as easily as they were in the past. Returning series, getting that second, third season, is harder than it used to be. There are challenges, and we’re going through upheaval. But I would say defi nitely one of the themes of today’s keynote is to say, as my favorite TV hero, Ted Lasso, would say, Believe! I certainly believe in this industry, for many reasons.”

Marsh announced that STUDIOCANAL is working with its affiliated company SunnyMarch—founded by Cumberbatch with Adam Ackland—on How to Stop Time, a six-parter based on the best-selling Matt Haig novel. Cumberbatch will star in the production, to be penned by DC Moore and directed by Tomas Alfredson. It will shoot in London and Europe in 2024.

Marsh also revealed STUDIOCANAL’s investment in Strong Film & Television, led by Broadchurch director James Strong as cofounder and joint creative director, along with executive producer Loretta Preece and executive Matt Tombs. Based in both Bristol and London, Strong Film & Television’s slate includes The Out (w.t.), which is being jointly developed with STUDIOCANAL.

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