Speaking of French cinema and Netflix:
Report: Netflix Could Buy Europacorp Before The Summer; Filmmaker Luc Besson Would Stay On
Charles Barfield
ThePlayList
March 30, 2018 1:35 pm
Apple might have passed on A24, but there’s rumors floating around that another production company might be acquired by a media giant.
According to French media outlet Capital, EuropaCorp is in advanced talks to be purchased by none other than Netflix. There’s no terms to the agreement, and honestly, the report is very heavily leaning on unnamed sources, but the structure of the deal is clear. EuropaCorp, founded in 2000 by filmmaker Luc Besson and Pierre-Ange Le Pogam, would be purchased by Netflix, with Besson to stay on to oversee the creative side of the company. The goal is to have the deal worked out by the summer.
If these rumors turn out to be true, this would be a pretty big deal for Netflix. EuropaCorp has been very productive, with films like the “Taken” franchise, “Lucy,” and recently, “Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets.” But it’s not all big-budget spectacle. They’re also responsible for films like “Miss Sloane,” which saw a Golden Globe nom for its star Jessica Chastain, and “Nine Lives,” which is about a talking cat voiced by Kevin Spacey…you know what? Let’s forget about that one.
The proposed deal would also make a lot of sense for Netflix, who has been making a big push for original films, especially those blockbuster films that would normally be reserved for the big screen. Last year saw “Bright” released on the streaming service, which carried an almost-$100 million budget, and was so successful (at least with viewers, definitely not with critics) that Netflix quickly greenlit a sequel. It’s clear the company is looking to be the one-stop shop for prestige films and TV series, as well as popcorn blockbusters. And there aren’t many filmmakers better at making those types of action films than Luc Besson.
As mentioned above, this is all still very early, and definitely should be taken with a grain of salt. But if this pans out, this could be yet another huge move for Netflix, who is trying to fend off the likes of Amazon, Apple, and Disney, with all four companies writing massive checks to compete against each other with streaming services.
theplaylist.net |
