1987 headquarters paris france area served france united kingdom ireland germany belgium austria switzerland luxembourg liechtenstein australia new zealand key people ross coleman ceo owner canal group vivendi subsidiaries tandem communications minority stake paddington and company copyrights group website www.studiocanal.com studiocanal formerly known as le studio canal canal plus canal distribution canal production and canal image is a french film production and distribution company that owns the third largest film library in the world . the company is a unit of the canal group owned by vivendi . contents 1 background 2 film library 3 distribution 3.1 acquisitions 3.2 distributors 4 selected filmography 4.1 1990s 4.2 2000s 4.3 2010s 5 references 6 external links background edit the company was founded in 1987 by pierre lescure as a spin off of the canal pay tv network . the original function was to focus on french and european productions but later made strategic deals with american production companies . studiocanal s most notable productions from its early years include terminator 2 judgment day jfk basic instinct cliffhanger under siege free willy and the original stargate movie . in those days it was known as le studio canal . it has strong links to universal studios studiocanal and universal studios were owned by the same company between 2000 and 2004 hence studiocanal co produced a fair number of universal s films . other films the company financed include u 571 bully and bridget jones s diary . studiocanal also funded the last third of david lynch s film mulholland drive . 1 studiocanal also financed french language films such as brotherhood of the wolf which became the second highest grossing french language film in the united states in the last two decades and intimate strangers which is being remade by hollywood based paramount pictures 2 . the biggest box office hits for studiocanal have been terminator 2 judgment day which grossed us 519 million basic instinct which grossed us 352 million and the tourist which grossed us 278 million worldwide . 3 4 5 film library edit studiocanal acquired film libraries from studios that either went defunct or had merged with it over the years . as a result the company s library is the third largest in the world behind warner bros. and metro goldwyn mayer respectively . studiocanal s library includes the film libraries of the original carolco pictures 6 7 including seven arts pictures joint venture with new line cinema de laurentiis entertainment group 6 7 8 including embassy pictures 6 7 8 9 ealing studios 10 11 12 including associated talking pictures lumiere pictures and television 13 currently owned as a result of parent company canal group s acquisition of cinema operator ugc who acquired the company including emi films 10 14 15 including british lion films 10 anglo amalgamated 10 including anglo amalgamated film distributors associated british picture corporation 10 including associated british productions associated british film distributors london films 10 the videocraft international theatrical feature films alexander salkind distribution edit acquisitions edit studiocanal acquired british irish distributor optimum releasing in 2006 as their first expansion into an international market . 16 2 years later their second expansion into an international market took place with studiocanal s acquisition of german distributor kinowelt who had distributed their films up to that point . 17 both companies have since then been renamed studiocanal . 18 studiocanal s acquisition of australian new zealand distributor hoyts distribution took place in 2012 and was studiocanal s third expansion into an international market . 19 in june 2016 studiocanal acquired the intellectual rights to the paddington bear brand along with the copyrights group the franchise s merchandise licensing agent . studiocanal then announced that it would be producing three more paddington films . 20 distributors edit outside france the united kingdom ireland and german speaking countries studiocanal does not have a formal distribution unit per se instead relying on other distribution studios and home video distributors to handle their titles in north america for example the criterion collection rialto pictures lionsgate home entertainment image entertainment metro goldwyn mayer and universal pictures distribute studiocanal s back catalogue on dvd and blu ray disc in addition anchor bay entertainment used to previously handle several of their titles . sony pictures home entertainment handles distribution of studiocanal hoyts distribution films in australia and new zealand on dvd and blu ray . studiocanal also handles home video distribution of 550 titles from the miramax library internationally lionsgate handles american distribution and entertainment one handles canadian distribution since february 2011 . 21 22 selected filmography edit 1990s edit title release date notes jfk december 20 1991 distributed by warner bros. nominee of the academy award for best picture the mambo kings february 28 1992 distributed by warner bros. memoirs of an invisible man february 28 1992 distributed by warner bros. the power of one march 27 1992 distributed by warner bros. the vagrant may 15 1992 distributed by metro goldwyn mayer bitter moon september 23 1992 distributed by new line cinema under siege october 9 1992 distributed by warner bros. damage december 9 1992 distributed by new line cinema arizona dream january 6 1993 distributed by warner bros. sommersby february 5 1993 distributed by warner bros. falling down february 26 1993 distributed by warner bros. made in america may 28 1993 distributed by warner bros. free willy july 16 1993 distributed by warner bros. that night august 27 1993 distributed by warner bros. heaven & earth december 25 1993 distributed by warner bros. stargate october 28 1994 distributed by metro goldwyn mayer murder in the first january 20 1995 distributed by warner bros. free willy 2 the adventure home july 19 1995 distributed by warner bros. carrington september 22 1995 distributed by gramercy pictures leaving las vegas october 27 1995 distributed by metro goldwyn mayer cutthroat island december 22 1995 distributed by metro goldwyn mayer free willy 3 the rescue august 8 1997 distributed by warner bros. kundun december 25 1997 distributed by touchstone pictures the idiots may 20 1998 distributed by usa films elizabeth september 8 1998 distributed by gramercy pictures nominee of the academy award for best picture ghost dog may 18 1999 distributed by artisan entertainment the straight story may 21 1999 distributed by walt disney pictures notting hill may 28 1999 distributed by universal pictures the ninth gate august 25 1999 distributed by artisan entertainment season s beatings november 24 1999 2000 s edit title release date notes bruiser february 13 2000 u 571 april 21 2000 distributed by universal pictures cecil b. demented august 11 2000 distributed by artisan entertainment the man who cried september 2 2000 distributed by universal pictures the weight of water september 9 2000 distributed by lions gate entertainment billy elliot september 28 2000 distributed by universal pictures lucky numbers october 27 2000 distributed by paramount pictures murderous maids november 22 2000 o brother where art thou december 22 2000 distributed by universal pictures international and touchstone pictures us harrison s flowers january 24 2001 distributed by universal pictures brotherhood of the wolf january 31 2001 distributed by universal pictures bridget jones s diary april 4 2001 distributed by universal pictures mullholland drive may 16 2001 distributed by universal pictures human nature may 18 2001 distributed by new line cinema bully june 15 2001 distributed by lions gate entertainment brooklyn babylon august 17 2001 distributed by artisan entertainment captain corelli s mandolin august 17 2001 distributed by universal pictures sex and lucia august 24 2001 distributed by palm pictures chasing sleep september 16 2001 chaos october 3 2001 long time dead january 18 2002 distributed by focus features 40 days and 40 nights march 1 2002 distributed by universal pictures ali g indahouse march 22 2002 distributed by universal pictures about a boy april 26 2002 distributed by universal pictures all or nothing may 17 2002 distributed by united artists irr versible may 22 2002 distributed by mars film distribution the pianist may 24 2002 distributed by universal pictures nominee of the academy award for best picture the red siren august 22 2002 distributed by haut et court the guru august 23 2002 distributed by universal pictures my little eye september 10 2002 distributed by universal pictures ned kelly march 27 2003 distributed by universal pictures johnny english april 11 2003 distributed by universal pictures the shape of things may 9 2003 distributed by universal pictures dogville may 19 2003 distributed by lions gate entertainment love actually november 7 2003 distributed by universal pictures shaun of the dead march 9 2004 distributed by universal pictures clean march 27 2004 distributed by palm pictures the calcium kid april 30 2004 distributed by universal pictures riding giants july 21 2004 distributed by sony pictures classics thunderbirds july 23 2004 distributed by universal pictures intimate strangers july 30 2004 distributed by paramount pictures wimbledon september 17 2004 distributed by universal bridget jones the edge of reason november 8 2004 distributed by universal pictures the interpreter april 8 2005 distributed by universal pictures pride and prejudice september 11 2005 distributed by universal pictures nanny mcphee october 21 2005 distributed by universal pictures united 93 april 28 2006 distributed by universal pictures franklin and the turtle lake treasure september 6 2006 distributed by hbo video inland empire september 6 2006 distributed by 518 media sixty six november 3 2006 distributed by first independent pictures smokin aces december 9 2006 distributed by universal pictures the good shepherd december 22 2006 distributed by universal pictures son of rambow january 22 2007 distributed by paramount vantage hot fuzz february 14 2007 distributed by universal pictures gone march 9 2007 distributed by universal pictures mr. bean s holiday march 24 2007 distributed by universal pictures atonement august 29 2007 distributed by universal pictures nominee of the academy award for best picture sa majest minor october 10 2007 elizabeth the golden age october 12 2007 distributed by universal definitely maybe february 14 2008 distributed by universal pictures wild child august 15 2008 distributed by universal pictures burn after reading august 27 2008 distributed by universal pictures rocknrolla september 5 2008 distributed by warner bros. frost nixon october 15 2008 distributed by universal pictures nominee of the academy award for best picture the boat that rocked april 1 2009 distributed by universal pictures state of play april 17 2009 distributed by universal pictures the soloist april 24 2009 distributed by paramount pictures chloe september 13 2009 distributed by sony pictures classics one for the road september 23 2009 distributed by wild bunch universal soldier regeneration october 1 2009 a serious man october 2 2009 distributed by focus features nominee of the academy award for best picture 2010s edit title release date notes green zone february 26 2010 distributed by universal pictures nanny mcphee and the big bang march 26 2010 distributed by universal pictures babies may 17 2010 distributed by universal pictures a turtle s tale sammy s adventures august 4 2010 the last exorcism august 27 2010 distributed by lionsgate films senna october 7 2010 distributed by universal the tourist december 10 2010 distributed by sony pictures entertainment tyrannosaur january 21 2011 distributed by strand releasing unknown february 18 2011 distributed by warner bros. attack the block march 12 2011 distributed by screen gems tinker tailor soldier spy september 5 2011 distributed by universal pictures johnny english reborn october 7 2011 distributed by universal pictures contraband january 13 2012 distributed by universal pictures big miracle february 3 2012 distributed by universal pictures the dinosaur project august 10 2012 a turtle s tale 2 sammy s escape from paradise august 15 2012 anna karenina september 7 2012 distributed by focus features the place beyond the pines september 7 2012 distributed by universal pictures flight october 14 2012 distributed by paramount pictures universal soldier day of reckoning october 25 2012 distributed by magnolia pictures the way way back january 21 2013 distributed by 20th century fox i give it a year february