EuropaCorp

EuropaCorp
Public S.A.
Traded as Euronext: ECP
Industry Film
Founded 2000
Headquarters Saint-Denis, France
Key people
 Luc Besson
Christopher Lambert
Products Motion Pictures
Revenue Increase €211.8 million (2013)[1]
Parent Frontline
Divisions Roissy Films
Website www.europacorp-corporate.com

EuropaCorp is one of the major feature film producers in France and Europe, headquartered in Saint-Denis near Paris—and one of only a few fully integrated independent studios that both produces and distributes feature films.

Founded in 1999, EuropaCorp's activities include production, theatrical distribution, home entertainment, VOD, international distribution and sales, French TV Sales, partnerships and licenses, original soundtrack production, publishing and exhibition. EuropaCorp's integrated financial model generates revenues from a wide range of sources, with films from many genres and a strong presence in the international markets.

Over 14 years, EuropaCorp has produced and co-produced over 80 films and is now distributing over 500 titles after the integration of the RoissyFilms Catalogue. The studio is mainly known for its expertise in the production of English language films with strong earning potential in the international marketplace.[2] The company is renowned for developing and producing the blockbuster franchises, the Taken trilogy and the Transporter series.[3]

The company began producing TV series in 2010 through EuropaCorp Television which is currently adapting one of EuropaCorp's most famous and popular film franchises: Taxi.

History

Luc Besson began directing features with his film, Le Dernier Combat (1983).[4] In 1985 he worked with Pierre-Ange Le Pogam for the first time on the movie Subway. Le Pogam was then Distribution Director at Gaumont. Subsequently, virtually all the films that Besson made with Gaumont between 1985 and 1999 topped the three-million ticket mark at the box office (e.g. The Big Blue (1988), Nikita (1990), Léon, The Fifth Element (1997) and The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc (1999)) Meanwhile, Le Pogam developed innovative promotional techniques at Gaumont, which he applied for the first time for Besson’s The Fifth Element (1997). This film was France’s biggest export success of all time until Taken 2 was released in 2012, which established a new record.

In 1997 Pierre-Ange Le Pogam became Deputy Chief Executive Officer of Gaumont. In September 2000 Besson and Le Pogam founded Europacorp.[2] This superseded Besson's earlier production company known as Films du Dauphin.

In July 2007 EuropaCorp successfully managed its IPO on Euronext Paris.[5]

In May 2008, the CSA, French authority for media regulation, selected the EuropaCorp TV project in its invitation to apply for a mobile TV channel in France.

In 2013 Lisa Ellzey, hitherto producer for Lions Gate and 20th Century Fox, was appointed as executive vice president of U.S. Motion Picture Production of EuropaCorp.[6]

Structure

Today EuropaCorp is owned at 62% by Luc Besson through his company Frontline and at 8.06% by Pierre-Ange Le Pogam; 23% is public.[5][7]
Besson is the Chairman of EuropaCorp's Board of Directors.
Jean-Julien Baronnet was the Chief Executive Officer of EuropaCorp until November 2008. Christopher Lambert was appointed as CEO in 2010.[8]

Digital Factory[9] is related to EuropaCorp via Luc Besson. EuropaCorp films, post-production of sound for EuropaCorp films is performed chiefly at its Normandy site, while the image editing is done in Paris.

International dimension

EuropaCorp has notably produced the world box-office hits Taken ($224 million at world box-office), Arthur and the Invisibles ($107 million), Transporter 3 ($106 million) and Hitman ($100 million). Two EuropaCorp productions have been topping the US box-office: Transporter 2 by summer 2002 and Taken at spring 2009.

Many international film stars have appeared in EuropaCorp productions: Jim Carrey, Penélope Cruz, Robert De Niro, David Duchovny, Morgan Freeman, Salma Hayek, Tommy Lee Jones, Jet Li, John Malkovich, Jason Statham, Brittany Murphy, Liam Neeson, Madonna, Ewan McGregor, Lou Reed, and others. Consequently the films are usually shot in English.[10]

EuropaCorp Japan, a subsidiary of EuropaCorp based in Tokyo, has for core business the distribution of feature films in Japan. It is a joint-venture with three Japanese companies: Asmik Ace, Sumitomo Corporation and Kadokawa.

In 2012 Europacorp struck a three-year output deal with Chinese film distributor Fundamental Films for 15 feature films. Fundamental Films agreed to co-produce three of these films.[11][12]

In April 2013 the company announced its next film will be Lucy, which will be directed by Luc Besson and star American actress Scarlett Johansson.[13]

"Cité du Cinéma", French movie studios

EuropaCorp relocated to the Cité du Cinéma in 2012. This movie studio complex, located in Saint-Denis in the close outskirts of Paris, at build out will have a total of 9 film stages,[2] with another 12,000 square metres of space devoted to technical units and 2200 square metres for screening and reception rooms.[2][14]

The cinema school « Ecole Nationale Supérieure Louis Lumière » is to be relocated to the complex.

EuropaCorp signed a lease with the Nef Lumière, owner of the tertiary complex, for space for its permanent staff and the film crews, with extra space for potential new activities. This tertiary complex is financed by both the Caisse des Dépôt and Vinci.

EuropaCorp is a minority shareholder in the company operating the studios, joining Euro Media Group, Quinta Communications and Frontline. The Euro Media Group, which owns several film studios throughout Europe, will provide management of daily operations of these studios of Paris.

Films

Pierre-Ange Le Pogam next to French director Michel Gondry at the French premiere of Be Kind Rewind, distributed in France by EuropaCorp (3 March 2008).

1997

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

TBA

Television series

Upcoming TV-projects[18]

Upcoming projects

Awards and nominations

References

  1. ↑ "EuropaCorp’s Full-Year Results: Revenue Rise 14%, Net Profit Fall 19.4%". Variety. Retrieved 5 October 2014.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 "EuropaCorp, French film in the American manner". INA Global. Retrieved October 11, 2010.
  3. ↑ Richford, Rhonda (2 February 2013). "Luc Besson's EuropaCorp Reports Strong Growth in Third Quarter Results". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 26 April 2013.
  4. ↑ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0085426/?ref_=nm_flmg_wr_54
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 "EuropaCorp, Besson Film Company, Raises EU70 Million". Bloomberg. July 6, 2007. Retrieved July 6, 2007.
  6. ↑ "EuropaCorp Names Lisa Ellzey To Spearhead U.S. Motion Picture Production Surge". Retrieved March 7, 2013.
  7. ↑ Corporate website Shareholders section
  8. ↑
  9. ↑ Digital Factory website (fr)
  10. ↑ Pfanner, Eric (November 4, 2012). "France Tries to Lure Filmmakers". The New York Times. Retrieved November 4, 2012.
  11. ↑ Leffler, Rebecca (July 23, 2012). "Distribution Deal in China". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved July 23, 2012.
  12. ↑ "Luc Besson’s EuropaCorp Enters Chinese Co-Production & Distribution Pact". Retrieved July 23, 2012.
  13. ↑ Hollywood Reporter Daily Edition - April 26 2013
  14. ↑ "The Cité du Cinéma consists of 9 sound sets designed to meet professionals’ every need, 12,000 sq. metres of dedicated technical units (dressing rooms, editing suites, paint and carpentry workshops, camera and lighting shops, etc.) and 2,200 sq. metres of screening and reception rooms". Retrieved March 20, 2013.
  15. ↑ Variety http://variety.com/2013/film/news/cannes-luc-besson-dives-into-sea-of-war-1200481304/. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  16. ↑ Variety http://variety.com/2013/biz/news/europacorp-posts-record-net-profit-1200502757/. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  17. ↑ Kevin Ma (April 20, 2015). "Luc Besson readies Warrior's China shoot". Film Business Asia. Retrieved April 20, 2015.
  18. ↑ http://www.lexpress.fr/culture/cinema/taxi-luc-besson-en-fait-une-serie-pour-tf1_1193248.html
  19. ↑ "Three New Transporter Films", Hollywood Reporter

External links