Netflix, Amazon, Disney Plus, Apple TV Plus to Invest as Much as $330 Million in French Content Annually

Every Tuesday, discriminating viewers are confronted with a flurry of choices: new releases on disc and on-demand, vintage and original movies on any number of streaming platforms, catalog titles making a splash on Blu-ray or 4K. This biweekly column sifts through all of those choices to pluck out the movies most worth your time, no matter how you’re watching.

Elsa Keslassy International CorrespondentThanks to glamorous Paris-set shows like “Lupin” and “Emily in Paris” topping Netflix charts — and daring French female directors Julia Ducournau (“Titane”) and Audrey Diwan (“Happening”) winning top prizes at the Cannes and Venice film festivals — France drew more eyeballs worldwide in 2021 than it has in years.

Elsa Keslassy International CorrespondentThanks to glamorous Paris-set shows like “Lupin” and “Emily in Paris” topping Netflix charts — and daring French female directors Julia Ducournau (“Titane”) and Audrey Diwan (“Happening”) winning top prizes at the Cannes and Venice film festivals — France drew more eyeballs worldwide in 2021 than it has in years.

If you want to get in the International Film Oscar race get your ass to the Cannes Film Festival. This year, eight titles that made the 15 films cut debuted on la Croisette including Asghar Farhadi’s “A Hero,” Joachim Trier’s “The Worst Person in the World” and Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s NYFCC and LAFCA Best Film winner, “Drive My Car.” This year’s Palme d’Or winner and the French submission, “Titane,” was snubbed.

Christmas6. Illumination Presents: Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch7.

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.

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.

Jennifer Yuma editorApple Original Films and A24 announced a special free screening event of “The Tragedy of Macbeth,” followed by a live Q&A with Joel Coen and Frances McDormand on Dec. 5 in IMAX.Shot in black-and-white, Coen’s take on the Scottish Play stars Denzel Washington as Lord Macbeth and McDormand as Lady Macbeth.

Canal Plus has reached a new agreement with French film industry organizations which sees the pay-TV group commit to invest more than 600M euros ($679M) in local and European film across the next three years.

Elsa Keslassy International CorrespondentVivendi-owned pay TV group Canal Plus has signed a pact with France’s film guilds on Thursday to invest €600 million ($680 million) in French and European films from 2022 to 2024.Under the agreement, Canal Plus will have to dedicate 85% of the $680 million to French films over the next three years.

Spy City creator William Boyd is penning a $20M series about the tragic life of Emperor Maximilian of Mexico and his wife Charlotte of Belgium for Herbert Kloiber and Constantin Film’s High End Productions.