Studiocanal’s M-K Kennedy on Company’s Ambition to Become a ‘Television Studio With Worldwide Presence’ With Series Like ‘Paris Has Fallen’ and ‘Apollo Has Fallen’ (EXCLUSIVE)

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In just a single year as the executive managing director of TV series for Studiocanal, M-K Kennedy has been elevating the aspirations for scripted productions within the company’s television division.

Kennedy recently informed EbMaster that the second season of “Apollo Has Fallen,” an anthology series from Studiocanal, has begun filming. Unlike its predecessor, which was set in one location, this eight-part series will travel across various countries, including Libya and Spain. Principal photography is happening in the U.K., as well as Marta and Spain. The production is a collaboration between Studiocanal, Urban Myth Films, Millenium, and G-Base, the same teams responsible for “Paris Has Fallen,” which was distributed in over 170 territories worldwide.

Once more, the story in ‘Apollo Has Fallen’ – a sequel to Gerard Butler’s ‘Has Fallen’ series, following on from ‘Paris Has Fallen’ – has been penned by the original creator Howard Overman (known for ‘War of The Worlds’, ‘Misfits’). This time around, David Caffrey (‘The Gentlemen’) and Alice Troughton (‘Baghdad Central’) share directorial duties.

Just before the Series Mania event, where EbMaster was chairing the jury for the Co-Pro Pitching Session, Kennedy announced that the upcoming season would feature Ritu Arya and Tewfik Jallab again. According to her, these two characters share an extraordinary chemistry off-screen. Arya plays the fearless MI6 agent Zara Taylor, while Jallab takes on the role of Vincent Taleb, a former close protection officer who is now trying to prevent a lethal virus from wiping out Europe. The cast of “Apollo Has Fallen” also includes Jacek Koman (“Conclave”), Richard Dormer (“The Day Of The Jackal”), Charlotte Spencer (“The Gold”), Arthur Darvill (“Doctor Who”), Annabel Scholey (“The Split”) and Aylin Tezel (“Scrapper”).

Urban Myth Films is one of the 19 production companies that Kennedy manages for Studiocanal. This executive, who hails from Colombia and exudes sharpness, energy, and passion, amassed a remarkable portfolio while working at Netflix for seven years. She supervised the production teams responsible for creating local-language shows and films like “All Quiet on the Western Front,” which won an Oscar, “Society of the Snow,” and the Omar Sy series “Lupin.

At Studiocanal, Kennedy expresses her intention to expand on established franchises and intellectual properties within the company’s collection, while also seeking out fresh content. To this end, the label’s newly created literary adaptation division, Studiocanal Stories, has recently obtained the rights for Beth O’Leary’s upcoming novel “Swept Away.” Kennedy announces that Studiocanal will transform this novel into a live-action TV series tailored towards female viewers.

For the majority of your career, you’ve been traveling around the world. You spent time in Amsterdam with Netflix, Los Angeles with Universal Television, and both Mexico City and Miami with Telemundo Studios. How has your initial year in London with Studiocanal been?

What a transformative year it’s been! I’ve ventured to a new land, settled into unfamiliar surroundings, switched careers, and immersed myself deeply in a different tongue – though my professional life mostly revolves around English, I must admit that I’ve spent more time honing my French skills this past year than I had in the last decade.

Studiocanal is part of a French company but it’s actually pretty international, right?

Absolutely! We’re developing our own brand, Studiocanal Series, and I’m currently establishing a team here in London. Apart from that, I have a robust development team, and all our sales and distribution teams are based in Paris. Furthermore, we have another branch in Munich, known as Studiocanal GMBH. On top of these, we operate 19 production companies across various regions like Spain, the U.K., Scandinavia, France, among others.

What’s the significance behind Studiocanal initiating the production of large-scale English-language series such as “Paris Has Fallen”?

Our primary focus for “scale series” is to transform into a conduit for top-tier English language TV shows, catering to the Canal’s broadcast area. Simultaneously, we are aggressively working on producing premium English language series. The ultimate goal here is to build a globally recognized television studio with far-reaching ambitions, aiming to engage audiences across the globe. At this stage, the best way to achieve that is by creating English language TV shows.

Do you need to have a U.S. partner on these big shows to greenlight them?

In general, it can be advantageous, though it varies per series. For instance, when we approached “Paris has Fallen,” our efforts were fruitful in securing collaborations, not only in the U.K., but also in the U.S. Fingers crossed, we anticipate and believe these partners will rejoin us for a fresh season, but at the moment, we’re engaged in those negotiations.

What’s that new season about?

As a movie enthusiast, I’m excited to share that we’re delving back into the cinematic world with a new title, “Apollo Strikes.” You might recall our previous adventures with titles like “Olympus Stumbled,” “Angel Tumbled,” and “London Shuddered.” However, this time around, the mission name is indeed Apollo. The reason behind this choice lies in the series’ scale and its primary objective to mirror the success we achieved with “Paris Shook” under the Canal Group. They are my employers, spearheading this project, and their backing is further bolstered by the English market. But let me emphasize that the real driving force behind these movies is none other than Canal.

What budget are you aiming for on your big English-language series?

Our starting point for negotiations is definitely asking for over €3 million per episode, given that we’re not aiming to create introspective character-study shows. Instead, our focus is on large-scale action series and high-octane thrillers with a star power that resonates globally. However, “Paris Has Fallen” and “Apollo Has Fallen” are somewhat different, though I won’t disclose the specific figures for those projects at this time.

You worked many years at Netflix before. How different is what you’re doing now at Studiocanal?

One key similarity that struck me about my new job is its global ambition. What initially attracted me was not just servicing a French or even European platform, but rather the goal of establishing a global television business. This is what Canal has been striving for today, and we anticipate expanding it further. We’re already present on every continent. The main difference I experienced moving from Netflix was that they operated in a self-contained ecosystem, as they only produced content for their own service. Here, however, we cater to multiple editorial lines and territories because the various Canal entities choose shows for programming on Canal Polonia, Canal France, and Canal Africa. This focus on serving diverse audiences and ensuring their enjoyment makes me more audience-sensitive than I was before.

When you’re talking about big shows, do they all have to be in English language?

For the foreseeable future, approximately the next 2-3 years, my focus will primarily revolve around establishing our brand as a globally recognized producer. To achieve this, I’ll be concentrating on the English language as we strive to expand our influence worldwide.

What struck you when you arrived at Studiocanal?

Upon my arrival, I noticed an interesting aspect: our library boasts over 9,000 titles, providing a wealth of intellectual property for refinement and exploration. However, even with the fresh IP we’re uncovering, each production company within our family has its unique narrative DNA when it comes to storytelling.

Have you seen how your new studio division, Studiocanal Stories, specializing in adapting literature, has been performing so far?

The focus of our discussion revolved around maximizing the internal synergies within the Vivendi group of companies and strengthening our bond with Hachette Publishing Group specifically, as well as the broader literary and publishing communities worldwide. During our interaction with various divisions of Hachette, we had a productive meeting with the publishers of Erin O’Leary’s novels. Her latest book, which sold an impressive 3 million copies in the U.K., was a global sensation. Notably, it has been adapted for television twice, and I believe Paramount+ in the U.K. was responsible for both The Flat Share and The Road Trip adaptations. We were fortunate enough to preview the manuscript for her upcoming novel, scheduled for release next April.

Are there numerous fantastic StudioCanal films in your collection that you’d like to develop further? Which ones catch your eye the most?

We’re not ready to share it just yet, but you can look forward to a major announcement about an iconic IP that started as a film for us. This is a highly significant project from a renowned filmmaker. Instead of simply revisiting the original story, we found that flipping the narrative was necessary. Suddenly, we’ve shifted the central story to a new setting. It feels incredibly timely and zeitgeist-y, as if we’ve created something truly relevant. With this IP, we have the freedom to explore different possibilities, such as “What if we turned it upside down?” or “What if the protagonist was not who they originally were?” or “Where could this story unfold other than Africa or Russia? Perhaps in Spain or Germany instead?” The potential is enormous.

How do you plan on attracting a broader audience, particularly women, for the “Paris Has Fallen” series given its traditionally male-oriented nature?

Indeed! The reason we were so thrilled about the Erin O’Leary books is because they perfectly align with our vision. We thought, “Wow, this is exactly who we want as our business partner!” A female collective, a storyteller, a woman author, narrating her tales from a female perspective, keeping that edge and boldness while also offering captivating redemption stories.

In our lineup, there seemed to be a lack of feminine energy, which we aim to fill. We want to infuse some girl power into our business!

Now that the era of Peak TV seems to have passed, would you say that there’s still a significant appetite for high-quality television programming among viewers?

Our company, rooted in European traditions, has always found collaboration to be not a last resort, but a fundamental approach. Unlike some who view co-production as a necessary evil due to financial constraints, it’s second nature to us. This adaptability gives us an edge over Hollywood, who might be grappling with uncertainty right now. We’re the ones saying, “We can handle this.” We’ve managed to stay agile and resourceful, even when faced with challenges. Although ‘Paris Has Fallen’ is a grand and ambitious project, we don’t require lavish timelines or extravagant production environments to bring it to life. We thrive in challenging situations. I believe we’re particularly well-suited for the current climate.

Given the wealth of resources available in your library and among your group, how receptive are you to taking on projects that originate outside these sources?

Initially, there were over 220 projects in various stages of development when I joined. Some of these originated from our library, while others were films that my film colleagues had begun working on and later believed could transition well into television. I examined what was culturally relevant, what seemed logical, and what still felt innovative. If a project didn’t meet these criteria, it was set aside for future consideration. Now, since around the first of March, we’ve been accepting new projects, despite initially stating otherwise because, in the realm of art, you need to seize opportunities!

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2025-03-27 14:47