STUDIOCANAL TAKES A MAJORITY STAKE IN LUCKY RED

STUDIOCANAL, Europe's leading film and television studio and CANAL+ in house studio has today announced the acquisition of a majority stake in LUCKY RED, one of Italy's major Italian distribution and production companies.

Established in 1987 in Rome by Andrea Occhipinti, Lucky Red initially operated as an independent art-house film distributor. It has since expanded its scope and now stands as a major player in Italy’s independent film distribution and production landscape. Over nearly four decades, Lucky Red has released more than 600 films, many of which have received major international distinctions, including awards from Cannes International Film Festival, Venice International Film Festival, the Academy Awards and the David di Donatello Awards. Its catalogue includes films from some of the world’s most acclaimed directors (Bong Joon-ho, Jafar Panahi, Joachim Trier, Paolo Sorrentino, Michael Haneke, Paul Thomas Anderson, Wim Wenders, Danny Boyle, Luca Guadagnino, Alexander Payne, Todd Haynes, Stephen Frears, Asghar Farhadi). In 2024, Lucky Red was awarded ‘best international innovation for distribution’ at the third International Film Distribution Summit.

Lucky Red and STUDIOCANAL are building on a long-standing relationship that has bought audiences an array of cinematic hits from The Coen Brothers' INSIDE LLEWYN DAVIS to STUDIOCANAL's German production HEIDI, and the acclaimed WE LIVE IN TIME starring Florence Pugh and Andrew Garfield. Their partnership continues with the highly anticipated release of Aardman and STUDIOCANAL's SHAUN THE SHEEP: THE BEAST OF MOSSY BOTTOM coming to theatres this Halloween, ELSINORE, currently in post-production in the UK for STUDIOCANAL, Lucky Red, Magnolia May Films and LD Entertainment, VIOLETTE (Changer l’eau des fleurs) from acclaimed director Jean-Pierre Jeunet and FONDA from Academy Award and BAFTA winning director Justine Triet, announced last week. FONDA will star Mia Goth and Andrew Scott with Allison Janney in talks to join the project shooting this Spring. STUDIOCANAL picked up several major territories including Italy.

With this acquisition, the partnership enters an exciting new phase, giving STUDIOCANAL a unique opportunity to expand direct operations into a major European market, alongside its existing direct distribution and production presence across 11 European territories, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Poland, Spain and the United Kingdom, as well as in Australia and New Zealand, with offices in the United States and China. For Lucky Red, the move unlocks the potential to board more ambitious projects, reinforcing its ability to attract both seasoned filmmakers and emerging talent, setting the stage for even greater creative and commercial success.

Lucky Red continues to deliver strong box office success at the Italian box office with recent hits including THE BOY AND THE HÉRON, PERFECT DAYS, EMILIA PEREZ, DRACULA, BERLINGUER: LA GRANDE AMBIZIONE, NO OTHER CHOICE, A SIMPLE ACCIDENT, SENTIMENTAL VALUE. The company’s success also extends to television with acclaimed titles such as BELCANTO (RAI & Netflix), GIGOLO PER CASO (Prime Video) and CHRISTIAN (Sky), demonstrating its ability to captivate audiences across both big and small screens.

Anna Marsh, CEO of STUDIOCANAL and Chief Content Officer of CANAL+: "I am delighted that STUDIOCANAL is deepening its partnership with the incredibly talented team at Lucky Red, one of Italy’s most vibrant film and television companies. This development enables us to gain a solid presence in one of Europe’s prime markets, further reinforcing our status as the leading European studio. Both Lucky Red and STUDIOCANAL are dedicated to bold and distinctive storytelling across all forms, supported by deeply experienced teams committed to delivering extraordinary stories to audiences. This collaboration will further strengthen Lucky Red’s position as a major player in film and television”.

Andrea Occhipinti, founder and CEO of Lucky Red: “We are thrilled to be joining the most dynamic company in the European entertainment industry. Lucky Red and STUDIOCANAL are both distributors and producers of successful films and series, with complementary strengths and a shared long-term vision. Thanks to the incredible catalogue of film from STUDIOCANAL and its production slate, this prestigious international partnership will allow Lucky Red to strengthen its legitimacy as a major player in the local film industry, attracting high-caliber talent and producing first class content. I firmly believe that this is a perfect match and a great opportunity for further growth”.

CONTACTS
Corporate Communications: Elvire Charbonnel, elvire.charbonnel@canal-plus.com
Financial Communications: Andrew Swailes, andrew.swailes@canal-plus.com
Investors & Analysts: ir@canal-plus.com

ABOUT STUDIOCANAL (a CANAL+ Company)

STUDIOCANAL, CANAL+’s in-house studio, is one of Europe’s leading film and television studio, with worldwide production and distribution capabilities. It operates directly in nine major European markets including Austria, Benelux, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Poland, Spain and the United Kingdom, as well as in Australia and New Zealand, and offices in the United States and China. STUDIOCANAL finances, produces, and distributes 80 films per year. It owns one of the most prestigious catalogues in the world and the largest catalogue of European titles, boasting more than 9 400 titles from 60 countries. With a catalogue spanning 100 years of film history, STUDIOCANAL has invested close to 25 million euros into the 4K restoration of nearly 1 000 classic feature films over the past 7 years. STUDIOCANAL also produces over 15 series each year, including local creations and premium international co-productions, and distributes its scripted productions and CANAL+ Originals globally (2,000 hours of current and library content in distribution). Projects are produced in-house by STUDIOCANAL or through its worldwide network of production companies, including 2e Bureau, STUDIOCANAL Original, Flab, Kissman, Pernel and Upside in France; Birdie Pictures, Red Production Company, Urban Myth Films, Strong Film & Television, and Sunny March TV in the UK; Bambú Producciones and Te Espero en Marte in Spain; Lailaps Films and STUDIOCANAL Series in Germany; Opus TV in Poland; Sam Productions in Denmark; Dingie in Belgium; and The Picture Company in the United States.

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ABOUT LUCKY RED

Lucky Red is the leading independent distributor in Italy as well as an active producer of films and series. Established in 1987 the company has distributed and produced the best of independent cinema, successfully introducing Italian audiences to great directors from all over the world. The company has produced L’amore molesto by Mario Martone, Magdalene Sisters by Peter Mullan, Il Divo and This must be the place by Paolo Sorrentino, Open your eyes and Mar Adentro by Alejandro Amenabar, The Boss of it all and Antichrist by Lars Von Trier, The White Ribbon and Funny Games by Michael Haneke, The Silence of Lorna and Le Gamin au Velo by Jean Pierre and Luc Dardenne, The Little Prince by Mark Osborne, Everybody Knows by Asghar Farhadi, On my skin by Alessio Cremonini, Freaks Out by Gabriele Mainetti. Lucky Red’s movies have been awarded in major International Film Festivals and won several awards: 7 Golden Lions in Venice, (including last year’s Father Mother Sister Brother), 4 Golden Bears in Berlin (including this year’s Yellow Letters), 5 Golden Palms in Cannes (including last year’s A Simple accident), and many Academy Awards in the main categories for Usual suspects, Shine, The March of the penguins, Slumdog Millionaire, Moonlight, Parasite, The Boy and the Heron as well as 6 Best International Film.