News

After surging back from the pandemic with a 16% growth in 2023, France’s box office continued to grow in 2024 with €1.36 billion ($1.41 billion) grossed from 183.1 million admissions sold, a 0.5% year-on rise, according to Comscore and the National Film Board (Cnc).

While the increase may appear modest, it nevertheless solidifies France as Europe’s healthiest theatrical market, and one that shows the biggest signs of post-covid recovery even in a year that saw the country host the Olympic Games. Elsewhere in Europe, ticket sales dipped in 2024, per Comscore France.

The market share of French movies reached 44.4% compared to 36.7% for American movies, according to the Cnc, which notes that “it’s one of the highest level for local releases ever recorded.”

A wide-ranging duo of French movies beat Hollywood heavyweights to take the first two slots of this year’s box office chart: “A Little Something Extra” (“Un p’tit truc en plus”), a...

France TV Distribution has enlisted a raft of major distributors worldwide for “Sugar and Stars,” a movie starring Riadh Belaïche, a social media influencer-turned-actor.

The inspirational drama is based on the true story of Yazid Ichemrahem, an underdog who became a famous pastry chef.

“Sugar and Stars” marks the debut feature of Sébastien Tulard, who has directed several shorts and worked as assistant director on hit French comedies such as Tarek Boudali’s “30 jours max,” Frank Gastambide’s popular show “All the Way Up,” Dany Boon’s “Supercondriaque” and Philippe Lacheau’s “Babysitting.”

The film was penned by Penned by Cédric Ido and based on Ichemrahem’s bestselling autobiographical book “Un rêve d’enfant étoilé.”

The story revolves around Yazid, who spent his childhood moving from one foster home to another while dreaming of becoming a pastry chef. Nothing predestines him for such a career, but Yazid’s fierce...

France TV Distribution has boarded “Sugar and Stars” (“À la belle étoile”), an inspirational drama based on the true story of an underdog who became a famed pastry chef.

The film marks the feature debut of Sébastien Tulard, who has directed several shorts and worked as assistant director on hit French comedies such as Tarek Boudali’s “30 jours max,” Frank Gastambide’s popular show “All The Way Up,” Dany Boon’s “Supercondriaque” and Philippe Lacheau’s “Babysitting.”

Penned by Cédric Ido, “Sugar and Stars” is based on Yazid Ichemrahem’s autobiographical book “Un rêve d’enfant étoilé.” The story revolves around Yazid, who spends his childhood moving from one foster home to another while dreaming of becoming a pastry chef. Nothing predestines him for such a career, but Yazid’s fierce determination and resourcefulness allow him to thrive in the elitist arena of patisserie. Working for the world’s top chefs from Paris to Monaco,...

Alice Pol, Eddy Mitchell, Miou-Miou, Pablo Pauly, Gustave Kervern, Sarah Stern, Pascale Arbillot and Zabou Breitman star in Nicolas Pleskof’s first feature, a Kazak production sold by Bac Films. Nicolas Pleskof has been shooting his first feature film Murder Party since 26 November. A comedy thriller, the filmmaker’s debut work boasts a cast composed of Alice Pol, Eddy Mitchell, Miou-Miou, Pablo Pauly (nominated for the Best New Hope César as well as the Lumières Revelation award in 2018 for Step by Step; touring French cinemas next year in Garder ton nom), Gustave Kervern (at his best...

French company launched a trio of upcoming titles at AFM’s virtual edition.

France’s Snd has unveiled a raft of deals out of this year’s online American Film Market (November 9-13).

The feature film arm of the M6 broadcasting group launched a trio of new titles including children’s animation Pil’s Adventures and Jérôme Salle’s political thriller Kompromat, which is currently shooting.

Pil’s Adventures has sold to Spain (Big Picture Films), Portugal (Cinemundo), Russia/ex-Cis (Central Partnership), Baltics (Acme Film), Scandinavia (Mis Label), Israel (Lev), ex-Yugoslavia (Blitz), Taiwan (Moviecloud) and Middle East (Salim Ramia).

Directed by Julien Fournet,...

TF1 Studio has scored several pre-sales on Ludovic Colbeau-Justin’s “The Lion,” the anticipated action comedy starring Dany Boon and Philippe Katerine.

Currently in post-production, “The Lion” has been picked up for Canada (Tva films), Spain (Dea Planeta), Benelux (Alternative Films), Switzerland (Pathe Films), Greece (Spentzos Film), Portugal (Nos Lusomundo Audiovisuais), Cis (Top Film), Poland (Monolith), Former Yugoslavia (Blitz Film), Middle East (Italia Films), Morocco (Megarama), South Korea (Cree Pictures), China (Heyday Investments) and for airlines (Skeye).

TF1 Studio, whose international sales team is headed by Sabine Chemaly, will unveil the opening sequence of “The Lion” at the Afm this week and has released the first still (pictured) of the film which will be released in France on Jan. 29. Monkey Pack Films is producing “The Lion.”

The movie follows Romain, a psychologist who is fascinated by his patient, Leo Milan, who claims to be a highly-trained international spy, code-named The Lion.

Exclusive: Comedy co-stars Miou-Miou and Camille Chamoux; first look revealed.

WestEnd Films is launching world sales on Saving Mum (working title), a heartwarming comedy which reunites the team behind French comedy Connasse: writer-director Eloïse Lang and French actress Camille Cottin (Allied).

Rounding out the cast are ten-time César Award nominee Miou-Miou (Populaire), Camille Chamoux (Supercondriaque) and Johan Heldenbergh (The Broken Circle Breakdown).

The exclusive first picture released features Camille Cottin, Miou-Miou and Camille Chamoux (from left to right). The film is currently shooting on Reunion Island.

Saving Mum is the French-language remake of Danish comedy All Inclusive. WestEnd Films acquired the remake rights for that film from Happy Ending Film.

The film tells the story of free-spirited Rose (Cottin) and her uptight sister Alice (Chamoux) who take their mother Francoise (Miou-Miou) out of Paris to the tropical island of Reunion for her birthday. But when a sexy bartender, an attractive widow, and cheap margaritas...

France’s most successful local film of all time is still Dany Boon’s entertaining send-up of North-South differences, Welcome to the Sticks, from 2008, which sold an unheard-of 20.5 million tickets in a country where even the biggest blockbusters rarely attract more than 5 million pairs of eyeballs. The films Boon has directed since then, Nothing to Declare (8 million admissions) and Superchondriac (5 million), have also been hits but saw diminishing box-office and creative returns and that trend unfortunately continues with his latest, R.A.I.D. Special Unit (Raid Dingue).

An awkward mix of action film, terrorist plot, a-propos-of-nothing 1980s cross-dressing homage,...

Homegrown hits topped the French box office in 2014, with Serial (Bad) Weddings, Supercondriaque and Luc Besson's Lucy taking the top three spots. While romantic comedy Supercondriaque, starring beloved local comedian Dany Boon, and Lucy, an English-language action adventure starring new Paris resident Scarlett Johansson (she married French journalist Romain Dauriac in October, shortly after the birth of their daughter), boasted more than five million admissions each, it was Weddings (Quest-ce que a fait au Bon Dieu) that dominated the box office.  France focuses on the number of admissions to determine the best box-office performers. Read more Oscars: France Selects 'Saint

read more...