Studiocanal Opens New York Office, Promotes Anne Chérel to Lead U.S. Growth

French studio Studiocanal has expanded its presence in the U.S., opening its first office in New York.

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Anne Chérel, previously executive vice president of global sales and distribution, has been promoted to chief commercial officer and will be based in the new office, where she will continue to supervise global distribution and will be responsible for supporting the development of Studiocanal in the U.S.

The company, behind the hit “Paddington” and “Shaun the Sheep” franchises, already has a presence in the U.S. thanks to an office in LA led by Shana Eddy Grouf, as well as a stake in Andrew Rona and Alex Heineman’s U.S.-based The Picture Company. In a statement it said it wanted to strengthen its presence by establishing a business in New York that would allow it to “further consolidate” its commercial foothold in North America working closely with its U.S. distribution partners, with the aim of “combining distribution and global sales with each of its projects.”

“I am delighted with Anne Cherel’s appointment as chief commercial officer at Studiocanal,” said Studiocanal CEO Anna Marsh. “Throughout the years, Anne has played a key leadership role in the company and has successfully guided our global commercial strategy with finesse and determination. Her in-depth knowledge of the global market is second to none, and her gift as a manager has allowed us to build a brilliant sales team of talented, dedicated experts. I extend my heartfelt congratulations to Anne and wish her much success with developing Studiocanal’s distribution presence in the United States”.

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Chérel oversaw the international distribution of films such as “Autumn and The Black Jaguar” (Gilles de Maistre), “Back To Black”(Sam Taylor-Johnson), “Wicked Little Letters” (Thea Sharrock) and “Beating Hearts” (Gilles Lellouche), features which have been, or will soon be, distributed in all territories around the world. Upcoming series “Families Like Ours” (Thomas Vinterberg) and “Playing Nice” (Kate Hewitt) are among the flagship titles on which numerous distribution partnerships have been established globally.

Upcoming titles for Studiocanal include “Paddington in Peru,” which Sony Pictures is releasing in the U.S., and “We Live in Time” and “Huntington,” both with A24. “Paris Has Fallen,” meanwhile, is reportedly in advanced negotiations with a U.S. partner.

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