Gaumont ups TV activity

Because the box office success of "Intouchables" aided Gaumont become Gaul's top local film distributor a year ago, the 117-year-old French small-major may also be making waves in TV production, returning for the medium carrying out a decade-extended absence, with seasoned partners plus an ambitious first slate.Sidonie Dumas, Gaumont's chair since 2004, and Boss Christophe Riandee have re-launched a TV division in Paris after you have opened up up a La-based smallscreen arm a year ago.Gaumont has walked to the U.S. independent TV landscape with robust allies for instance CAA together with an employee of well-respected TV professionals, particularly Katie O'Connell, former professional V . p . of drama programming for NBC Entertainment, who heads the La division, Gaumont Intl. Television (GIT) and Erik Pack, a classic professional at British indie Energy, who helps secure European presales and scouts co-production options from Gaumont's London office."This complementary TV activity allows us to create bridges between France as well as the U.S.," Dumas states. It assists to Gaumont take full advantage of its catalog (Gaul's second finest library) in developing smallscreen series.As well as the mix-pollination allows the business to draw film company company directors with whom it already features a relationship to function on tv projects.French-Tunisian helmer Mabrouk El Mechri, whose French-lingo films happen to be produced by Gaumont since his directorial debut, "Virgil," in 2005, is writing "Superpower," a fantasy comedy skein created by Gaumont Television's Paris office for paybox Canal Plus.El Mechri most recently helmed Summit Entertainment's "The Cold Light of Day," searching for a U.S. release in April.Gaumont Television's controlling director Omar Brahimi states the business can also be developing an British-language series getting a Canadian co-producer for just about any French broadcaster which is working with GIT to discover a high-profile showrunner.GIT already has become a warm welcome within the worldwide marketplace, getting in showrunners Bryan Bigger("Pushing Daisies") to produce and professional produce "Hannibal," an hourlong drama using the character Hannibal Lecter and Michael Hurst ("The Tudors") for everybody inside the same capacity on six-hour miniseries "Madame Tussaud."Gaumont Intl. Television is searching to figures, styles and concepts that are relevant inside the U.S. and worldwide, O'Connell states.Dumas states GIT will probably be searching to produce a handful of series every year, offering talent a post sales on profits. It aims to limit risk by prefinancing nearly all a project's budget through tv producers, without always creating an plane pilot.GIT has pre-offered "Hannibal" to NBC, and O'Connell states her team gets conversations with worldwide partners."Madame Tussaud" remains noisy . development stage, and Cinemax Canada originates onboard just like a partner. GIT can have the project and material at MIP TV.Meanwhile, within the French film industry, Gaumont developed a giant advance this season: Their French business skyrocketed 209%, composed of almost 10% of local ticket sales and grossing 133.5 million ($177 million). "Intouchables" alone has already established 119.2 million in France. In Germany, with $32.8 million, the film ranks since the finest-grossing French film ever."The wealth of 'Intouchables' in France and abroad is important for people,In . Dumas states, "because it encourages us to build up and continue taking risks on many other original movies that could catch fire in your area after which it expand along with other areas."Although Gaumont's firstlook deal with U.S. producer Nick Wechsler, its partner on Massy Tadjedin's "Last Evening," isn't any more in place, Dumas states she's still trying to find original British-lingo material in film too.Gaumont recently greenlit two British-language films from popular French company company directors: Anne Fontaine's untitled drama romance toplining Naomi W and Robin Wright, and Jean Pierre Jeunet's 3d pic "T.S. Spivet." It's also merging with Wild Bunch to co-produce "Only God Forgives," Nicolas Winding Refn's lengthy looked forward to follow-around "Drive.""Current day companies are very flexible," Dumas states. "There's room for independent the kind of ours to are likely involved in backing worldwide driven films that European entrepreneurs are trying to find.Inch Contact the number newsroom at news@variety.com