Studio Canal No Longer HD-DVD Exclusive

[sonyfan6]

Studio Canal, which will be unknown to Americans but should be known to Europeans, is no longer hd-dvd exclusive and is releasing films on blu-ray. This is particularly surprising since Studio Canal cofinances films with Universal Studios.

Here's the press release from blu-ray:

Studio Canal has revealed an upcoming Blu-ray boxset for the three 'Les Bronzes' films, making it the first Blu-ray release to come from the formerly HD DVD exclusive studio. The Studio Canal library is very extensive, as they distribute titles for many of the major studios. No release date specs have been released at this time.

Here's a bit of information on Studio Canal from its website for Americans:

StudioCanal, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Canal+ Group, is a major player in France and Europe in the financing, acquisition and distribution of cinema films.

Supported by a very comprehensive catalogue which now comprises more than 5000 French, English and American films, StudioCanal has acquired a unique position in all lines of business: cinema distribution, video*, TV sales and international sales, generating annual revenues of 400 million euros.

StudioCanal is therefore an ideal partner for French film producers, as it is capable of maximising the revenues of films, both in France and across the world.

StudioCanal attempts to strike a balance between a passion for the cinema, growth and a rigorous management approach, by pursuing a strategy based on spreading risks, maximising distribution channels, enhancing its catalogue on an ongoing basis and ensuring its international expansion, thanks to the global distribution agreements that it has concluded for television and video with Universal and its own all rights sales activity.

In order to acquire the best films, StudioCanal has put in place production agreements with some of the best French film makers and production companies, including notably : Légende (Alain Goldman), Pan-Européenne (Philippe Godeau), Fidélité (Olivier Delbosc et Marc Missonnier), Chez Wam (Alain Chabat), Eskwad (Richard Grandpierre), F.E.W. (Dominique Farrugia) and Nord-Ouest (Christophe Rossignon).

In order to enlarge its supply of Anglo-Saxon films, StudioCanal is co-financing with Universal Pictures, the Working Title films (Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner) since 1999, one of the leading production companies in Europe.
StudioCanal thus ensures that the most talked-about English-language films receive the best possible exposure in France.

StudioCanal has also developed very close working relations with American production companies, by selling the remake and follow-up right of films in its catalogue, and by acquiring in 2005 the distribution rights for France of prestigious international films such as Clint Eastwood’s “Million Dollar Baby” and Robert de Niro’s “The Good Shepherd”.

*StudioCanal Vidéo operates a wide range of programmes in video and DVD format (500 DVD programmes already released, including 300 films), drawn from 4 separate sources:
1. Films recently produced or acquired by StudioCanal
2. StudioCanal’s films catalogue
3. Programmes produced by the Canal+ TV channel, where humour and football figure prominently.
4. Other programmes from the Canal + Group world, such as documentaries or animated films.
StudioCanal Vidéo is organised on the principle of a label that handles in-house all the publishing, marketing and promotional aspects of its products, while their commercial and physical distribution is entrusted to Universal Music.

STUDIOCANAL in figures

Distribution in theaters :
- 25 to 30 releases a year,
- 1st or 2nd place in the annual ranking of distributors of French films,
- Almost 20 million cinema admissions in 2004.

[sweetvar26]

nice .. good to hear that ...

[wetowel]

thats sweet here is some of the stuff studio canal has done
just copy and pasting from wiki

It was not very long before StudioCanal began co-producing films such as U-571 (2000), Bully (2001), and Bridget Jones' Diary (2001). StudioCanal also funded the last third of David Lynch's film Mulholland Drive[1].
Today, StudioCanal is a division of Vivendi SA, and has a catalogue that includes the film libraries of Carolco Pictures (Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Rambo: First Blood Part II, Basic Instinct, etc.), Embassy Pictures (The Graduate, The Producers, etc.), the Alexander Salkind pictures not owned by Warner Bros. (including Santa Claus: The Movie), the EMI Films library (Highlander, Death on the Nile, etc., but not including US rights to certain co-productions -- US rights to such films as Close Encounters of the Third Kind [whose worldwide rights are with Sony Pictures] and The Deer Hunter are owned by other major studios, usually the original releasing studio) and the Lumiere Pictures and Television output (including The Third Man and The Avengers).

[Lefein]

Wait, I've heard of these guys before... Crap! I know they do some movies I like! Are they on imdb?

[aries300]

Well, if this is a sign that they are going to start releasing more titles in Blu-Ray this is huge. StudioCanal is big in Europe. Moulin Drive, Highlander, Flash Gordon are some of the titles they have,
They distribute alot of Universal movies in Europe. Could this mean some Universal movies on Blu-ray? I´m not sure about the licencing rights though. Take alook at there sight. Hot Fuzz, Smokin Aces...hmm

http://www.studiocanal.com/pid402.htm

Since they were Hd-dvd exclusive I think this proves that Blu-ray has alot of support in Europe.
Cheers for BLU-RAY!!!

[Phaded]

They have done quite a few good movies, though they are not that well recognised.

[killzone_71]

Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz is the only film i knew from them...

which are good... too good!

[mickice]

Terminator 2 anyone? Titanic?

[sonyfan6]

In addition to the individual movies it is also excellent news because this puts pressure on Universal Studios from one of their business partners.

[zetsurin]

Very welcome news and comes at a good time. Europe is turning quite blu as can be seen in most stores so this is good to see that the trend should continue.

[spazchicken]

never heard of them

Well, if this is a sign that they are going to start releasing more titles in Blu-Ray this is huge.

[Naboomagnoli]

Aren't Ghibli distributed by Canal in Europe? That's off the top of my head but I seem to remember doing the appropriate research months ago..

[Duff-MaN_]

Terminator 2 anyone? Titanic?

i allready got T2 on blu-ray

[trumpz]

Studio Canal was never exclusive to HD DVD.

My understanding was it was assumed they were exclusive because of ties to Universal, but they haver actually publicly stated they were?

If nothing has changed why make a thread?

If I am wrong please link we to an official press statement from SC outlining their exclusivity.

[Saigon]

maybe this is the start...and next universal will also go neutral...or maybe even exclusive to BR...

[sonyfan6]

Studio Canal was never exclusive to HD DVD.

My understanding was it was assumed their were exclusive because of ties to Universal, but they haver actually publicly stated they were?

If nthing has changed why make a thread?

If I am wrong please link we to an official press statement from SC outlining their exclusivity.

According to the announcement from the blu-ray blog Studio Canal was exclusive to hd-dvd and no longer is. That's all I know.

[bobtheduck]

Too bad they don't do distro in the US... I'd love to have seen Léon on Bluray...

[mertle]

Too bad they don't do distro in the US... I'd love to have seen Léon on Bluray...

that would be very good movie on BD.

was they involved in District 13.

Does this mean they gone from exclusive HD-DVD to exclusive BD.

Canal although not well known by us is a major player in the film industry with its funding. This could make things interesting with the involvement with universal.

Will they prevent films they are involved in to be released in HD-DVD. If so where would that leave HD-DVD.