French production powerhouse Studiocanal is moving into the Italian production market by joining forces with Rome-based shingle Elsinore Film with plans to co-develop and coproduce a slate of scripted and unscripted content for the Italian and international market.
Elsinore Film is a boutique outfit headed by Annamaria Morelli (pictured, left), a former head of production at Italian streamer TimVision, who is known for her scouting activity. Morelli has had a hand in shepherding “Skam Italia,” the Italian adaptation of the Nordic drama series that’s a hit in Italy. She was more recently among producers of “Amanda,” a quirky teen dramedy about female friendship by newcomer Carolina Cavalli, that launched positively in September from the Venice fest’s Horizons section.
The partnership between Studiocanal and Elsinore is kicking off with an ambitious TV series based on the graphic novel “Sadboi” by the Argentinian manga artist and illustrator known as Berliac. The live action “Sadboi” adaptation, which is set in Venice, merges heists and the arts in a teen drama involving a refugee young man who after a model childhood spent in foster homes turns to a life of crime before breaking out in the contemporary art world.
Other joint projects between Studiocanal and Elsinore in earlier stages comprise a scripted comedy series and an episodic female-led period drama, as well as a number of high-end, unscripted docu-series, according to a statement.
Both fiction and non-fiction content created within the new partnership will be distributed internationally by Studiocanal.
Owned by Vivendi-backed Canal+ Group, Studiocanal already operates in all four major European markets — France, U.K., Germany and Spain — as well as in Australia and New Zealand. The banner also produces more than 200 hours of TV series each year at an international level, either in-house with Studiocanal Original, or through its network of European production labels, including Germany’s Tandem Productions, the U.K.’s RED Production Company, the U.K.’s Urban Myth Films and SunnyMarch TV, Spain’s Bambu Producciones or Scandinavia’s SAM Productions.
“It is such an exciting time to be part of Studiocanal TV as the business continues to evolve and expand,” said Francoise Guyonnet, executive managing director, TV series, at Studiocanal, in a statement. “We could not be more focused when selecting the right production partner – as well as having a European DNA that works internationally, they need to share our ambition to create the most inclusive, diverse and entertaining content for global audiences. We are delighted to welcome an amazing talent such as Annamaria Morelli and her team to our growing roster of partners across Europe,” she added.
Said Morelli: “Our partnership relies on a common vision and on common goals: discovering the most talented, innovative and inclusive Italian storytelling and bringing it to national and international audiences. We can’t wait to start collaborating with the brilliant team headed by Françoise Guyonnet, with the mix of bravery and competence that distinguishes both Studiocanal and Elsinore Film.”
