How ‘Summit of the Gods,’ ‘Flee’ and More French Animations Reaped Benefits From Global Toon Boom

just-opened exhibit at the Met, “Inspiring Walt Disney: The Animation of French Decorative Arts,” showcases how historical European design influenced both the animator and those that worked for him. The exhibition goes back to the post-World War I era, when a 16-year-old Disney travelled to France to work for the Red Cross.

Manchester United players and staff have sent a good luck message to Hannibal Mejbri ahead of the Arab Cup final between Tunisia and Algeria.

Good Deed Entertainment has taken US distribution rights to the animated drama Charlotte inspired by the autobiographical painting series “Life? or Theatre?” by Charlotte Salomon.

EXCLUSIVE: Universal Pictures has acquired the John Fusco spec script Phantom, a package that includes producers Harvey Mason Jr of Harvey Mason Media, and John Legend and his Get Lifted Film Co producing partner Mike Jackson. Pic will be an adaptation of the 1910 Gaston Leroux novel Phantom of the Opera, set in contemporary New Orleans.

Naman Ramachandran Indian filmmaker Ishan Shukla has started the motion capture of his debut animated feature “Schirkoa” in Angoulême, France.The film tells the story of a bored office worker, who may have accidentally sparked a revolution in a bizarre dystopian world, Schirkoa, where citizens live with paper bags on their heads to dissolve political, cultural and religious differences.It is based on Shukla’s 2016 short film of the same name that travelled to more than 120 film festivals and

A couple of easyJet passengers have been lifted by authorities in France after “behaving disruptively” whilst flying from Belfast to Lyon.

Elsa Keslassy International CorrespondentNetflix (“Lupin”), Amazon, Disney Plus and Apple TV Plus signed a long-gestating agreement with France’s broadcasting authorities (CSA) on Thursday to start investing 20% of their annual revenues on French content. The CSA expects the investment to be between €250 million ($282 million) to €300 million ($330 million) on average per year.The agreement came together after months of negotiations between French industry guilds, streamers and TV groups.

Elsa Keslassy International CorrespondentThe rape claim against French director Luc Besson has been dismissed by a Paris judge following a lengthy judicial investigation.A source close to the public prosecutor’s office in Paris confirmed to Variety that the case, which stemmed from a lawsuit filed by Belgian-Dutch actress Sand Van Roy accusing Besson of rape in 2019, has been dismissed.

Bevan French has reached out to Wigan Warriors to confirm he is returning to the club - though he currently remains in Australia.

Ben Croll Playing Dec. 13-15, the seventh edition of Webfest Berlin will run under new ownership but the same set of goals: To spotlight the finest in short-format web series production and to herald them on the international stage.This year’s edition will feature 27 short-form series from 13 countries in nearly as many languages, all spread over six competitive sections (Including French comedy “Dhanasri, Julies and the Ghosts,” pictured above).

After a year’s delay due to the pandemic, Steven Spielberg’s remake of the Broadway classic and 10x Oscar-winning 1961 movie, West Side Story, finally tunes up this weekend as the sole wide major studio theatrical release in 2,800 U.S./Canada theaters and offshore debuts in France, Germany, Brazil, Mexico, Russia and UK. All in, the global outlook is $22M-$31M, with $12M-$17M coming from domestic and $10M-$14M from abroad. The 20th Century Studios-Amblin production is being released by Disney.

Elsa Keslassy International CorrespondentA new study from the advocacy group Collectif 50/50 surveying French films from 2019 has revealed that 62% of local film protagonists are perceived as white, highlighting the underrepresentation of visible minorities in French cinema. The study, titled Cinégalités, was unveiled during a day-long conference hosted by Collectif 50/50 on Dec.

Bring on the beauty! Lily Collins made quite the statement with her glam during the first season of Emily in Paris. And after sitting down with the Aurélie Payen, the makeup artist for the show, we can pretty much promise that the second season, which launches on December 22, is going to serve up some seriously stunning looks. 

Naman Ramachandran Studiocanal has sold a raft of global territories on four-part thriller drama series “Ridley Road.” Created by Studiocanal’s Red Production Company, commissioned for BBC One and co-produced with Masterpiece, the series will air in the U.S.

Liza Foreman Eric Lagesse, the CEO/president of Paris-based arthouse distributor and world sales outfit Pyramide Films, received the Industry Tribute Award at Cairo Film Festival on Friday. Variety spoke with him about his relationship with Arab cinema, and the state of the independent film business in France.How do you feel about receiving this tribute?It’s great, but I have had a year to get used to it.

Elsa Keslassy International CorrespondentEric Zemmour, the French far-right pundit and TV journalist who has been called “France’s Trump,” sparked a scandal in French media earlier this week when he announced his presidential bid with a video that incited nationalist fervor and included unauthorized footage from classic movies, TV shows, newscasts and soccer games.The controversy echoes musicians such as Neil Young and the Rolling Stones threatening lawsuits over Donald Trump’s campaign using

Emilio Mayorga France’s Autour de Minuit, FKLG and Canal Plus are teaming to co-produce Théo Grosjean’s “Freaked Out” (“Flippé”), an animated series for adults whose first season was presented – and received an upbeat reception – at September’s Toulouse’s Cartoon Forum.The producers are currently in talks to greenlight a second season.The two-minute episode comedy series adapts “The World’s Most Anxious Man,” Grosjean’s autobiographical graphic novel, which revolves around a man’s everyday