EuropaCorp S.A. (stylised in opening logo as EUROPA CORP.) is a French

motion picture A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmosphere ...

company headquartered in Saint-Denis, a northern suburb of

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. Si ...

, and one of a few full service independent studios that both produces and distributes feature films. It specializes in

production Production may refer to: Economics and business * Production (economics) * Production, the act of manufacturing goods * Production, in the outline of industrial organization, the act of making products (goods and services) * Production as a stati ...

distribution Distribution may refer to: Mathematics * Distribution (mathematics), generalized functions used to formulate solutions of partial differential equations *Probability distribution, the probability of a particular value or value range of a vari ...

, home entertainment, VOD,

sales Sales are activities related to selling or the number of goods sold in a given targeted time period. The delivery of a service for a cost is also considered a sale. The seller, or the provider of the goods or services, completes a sale in r ...

, partnerships and licenses,

recording A record, recording or records may refer to: An item or collection of data Computing * Record (computer science), a data structure ** Record, or row (database), a set of fields in a database related to one entity ** Boot sector or boot record, r ...

, publishing and exhibition. EuropaCorp's integrated financial model generates revenues from a wide range of sources, with films from many genres and a strong presence in the international markets. Over 14 years, EuropaCorp has produced and co-produced over 80 films and is now distributing over 500 titles after the integration of the RoissyFilms Catalogue. The studio is mainly known for its expertise in the production of English-language films with strong earning potential in the international marketplace. The company developed and produced the successful '' Taken'' trilogy and the '' Transporter'' series. The company began producing TV series in 2010 through ''EuropaCorp Television'' which had already adapted EuropaCorp's popular ''Taxi'' film franchise. Since 2018, the company has faced tumultuous times following rape and sexual assault accusations towards its chairman and majority owner

Luc Besson Luc Paul Maurice Besson (; born 18 March 1959) is a French film director, screenwriter and producer. He directed or produced the films ''Subway'' (1985), '' The Big Blue'' (1988), and '' La Femme Nikita'' (1990). Besson is associated with the ' ...

History

The company was created by Luc Besson in 1992 under the name Leeloo Productions, but it only fully began producing and co-producing feature films many years later, with the release of ''

Taxi A taxi, also known as a taxicab or simply a cab, is a type of vehicle for hire with a driver, used by a single passenger or small group of passengers, often for a non-shared ride. A taxicab conveys passengers between locations of their choic ...

'' and '' The Dancer''. The company was renamed EuropaCorp in 2000. Luc Besson had also created a smaller production company called ''Les Films du Dauphin'' in 1990 that has existed outside of Leeloo Productions / EuropaCorp. Pierre-Ange Le Pogam, old associate of Besson from Gaumont, the production company behind many earlier Besson's directed films, joined EuropaCorp in 2000. He had worked with Besson since 1985 first as a Distribution Director and from 1997 as a Deputy Chief Executive Officer at Gaumont. He became known as the right-hand man of Besson at EuropaCorp. He left the company in 2011 over disagreements with Besson. In July 2007 EuropaCorp successfully managed its IPO on

Euronext Euronext N.V. (short for European New Exchange Technology) is a pan-European bourse that offers various trading and post-trade services. Traded assets include regulated equities, exchange-traded funds (ETF), warrants and certificates, bonds, ...

Paris. In May 2008, the

CSA CSA may refer to: Arts and media * Canadian Screen Awards, annual awards given by the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television * Commission on Superhuman Activities, a fictional American government agency in Marvel Comics * Crime Syndicate of Amer ...

, French authority for media regulation, selected the EuropaCorp TV project in its invitation to apply for a mobile TV channel in France. In 2013 Lisa Ellzey, hitherto producer for

Lionsgate Lions Gate Entertainment Corporation, doing business as Lionsgate, is a Canadian-American entertainment company. It was formed by Frank Giustra on July 10, 1997, domiciled in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada and is currently headquartered ...

and

20th Century Fox 20th Century Studios, Inc. (previously known as 20th Century Fox) is an American film production company headquartered at the Fox Studio Lot in the Century City area of Los Angeles. As of 2019, it serves as a film production arm of Walt Disn ...

, was appointed as executive vice president of U.S. Motion Picture Production of EuropaCorp. In 2018, Besson was accused of rape by an actress who wishes to remain anonymous. EuropaCorp stocks dropped 17% to just €2.31 ($2.70) after the rape allegation. Later the same year, EuropaCorp sold its French television division to Mediawan and renamed into Storia Television. EuropaCorp also agreed to sell the Roissy Films library to Gaumont. Five more women made similar statements against Besson. In May 2019 EuropaCorp was granted a six-month debt waiver from a French commercial court and placed under court protection. A week later the studio filed for bankruptcy protection in the United States. Its stock value had fallen to €0.67. It had no films in production. In December 2019 the company was $182 million in debt and it had been in long bailout negotiations with ''Vine Alternative Investments''.

Structure

In 2007 EuropaCorp was owned at 62% by Luc Besson through his company Frontline and at 8.06% by Pierre-Ange Le Pogam; 23% was public. Besson was appointed the chairman of EuropaCorp's

board of directors A board of directors (commonly referred simply as the board) is an executive committee that jointly supervises the activities of an organization, which can be either a for-profit or a nonprofit organization such as a business, nonprofit orga ...

. Jean-Julien Baronnet was the

chief executive officer A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a central executive officer (CEO), chief administrator officer (CAO) or just chief executive (CE), is one of a number of corporate executives charged with the management of an organization especiall ...

of EuropaCorp until November 2008. Christophe Lambert was CEO from 2010 to 2016. Marc Shmuger was appointed as CEO in 2016. Digital Factory is related to EuropaCorp via Luc Besson. The handling of post-production sound is performed chiefly at its Normandy site, while the visual effects are done in Paris. In September 2016 it was announced that Chinese film company

Fundamental Films Fundamental Films is a Chinese film production company and distributor based in Shanghai and founded in 2008. In September 2016 it was announced the company had acquired a stake of 27.9% in French film company EuropaCorp, becoming the second-larges ...

had acquired a stake of 27.9% in EuropaCorp, becoming the second-largest shareholder in the company. In June 2017, EuropaCorp signed a music publishing deal with

Sony/ATV Music Publishing Sony Music Publishing (formerly Sony/ATV Music Publishing) is the largest music publisher in the world, with over five million songs owned or administered as of end March 2021. US-based, it is part of the Sony Music Group, which is itself owned ...

. And later that month, the studio posted a loss of 120 million euros (US$135 million).

International dimension

EuropaCorp has produced the world box-office hits '' Taken'' ($224 million at world box-office), ''

Arthur and the Invisibles ''Arthur and the Invisibles'' or ''Arthur and the Minimoys'' (French: ''Arthur et les Minimoys'') is a 2006 English-language French fantasy adventure comedy animated/live-action film directed and co-written by French filmmaker Luc Besson. It is ...

'' ($107 million), ''

Transporter 3 ''Transporter 3'' (French: ''Le Transporteur 3'') is a 2008 English-language French action-thriller film. It is the third and final installment in the original trilogy of the '' Transporter'' franchise. Both Jason Statham and François Berléand ...

'' ($106 million) and ''

Hitman Contract killing is a form of murder or assassination in which one party hires another party to kill a targeted person or persons. It involves an illegal agreement which includes some form of payment, monetary or otherwise. Either party may b ...

'' ($100 million). Two EuropaCorp productions have been topping the US box-office: ''

Transporter 2 ''Transporter 2'' (French: ''Le Transporteur 2'') is an English-language French 2005 action-thriller film directed by Louis Leterrier. Written by Robert Mark Kamen and co-producer Luc Besson, it is the sequel to '' The Transporter'' (2002), as w ...

'' by summer 2005 and '' Taken'' at spring 2009. Many international film stars have appeared in EuropaCorp productions:

Jim Carrey James Eugene Carrey (; born January 17, 1962) is a Canadian-American actor, comedian and artist. Known for his energetic slapstick performances, Carrey first gained recognition in 1990, after landing a role in the American sketch comedy t ...

Penélope Cruz Penélope Cruz Sánchez (; ; born 28 April 1974) is a Spanish actress. Known for her roles in films of several genres, particularly those in the Spanish language, she has received various accolades, including an Academy Award and a British ...

Robert De Niro Robert Anthony De Niro Jr. ( , ; born August 17, 1943) is an American actor. Known for his collaborations with Martin Scorsese, he is considered to be one of the best actors of his generation. De Niro is the recipient of various accolades ...

David Duchovny David William Duchovny ( ; born ) is an American actor, writer, producer, director, novelist, and singer-songwriter. He is known for portraying FBI agent Fox Mulder on the television series ''The X-Files'' (1993–2002, 2016-2018) and as write ...

Morgan Freeman Morgan Freeman (born June 1, 1937) is an American actor, director, and narrator. He is known for his distinctive deep voice and various roles in a wide variety of film genres. Throughout his career spanning over five decades, he has received ...

, Salma Hayek,

Tommy Lee Jones Tommy Lee Jones (born September 15, 1946) is an American actor and film director. He has received four Academy Award nominations, winning Best Supporting Actor for his performance as U.S. Marshal Samuel Gerard in the 1993 thriller film '' T ...

Jet Li Li Lianjie (courtesy name Yangzhong; born 26 April 1963), better known by his stage name Jet Li, is a Chinese film actor, film producer, martial artist, and retired Wushu champion. He is a naturalized Singaporean citizen. After three years ...

John Malkovich John Malkovich (born December 9, 1953) is an American actor. He is the recipient of several accolades, including a Primetime Emmy Award, in addition to nominations for two Academy Awards, a British Academy Film Award, two Screen Actors Guild Aw ...

, Jason Statham,

Brittany Murphy Brittany Anne Murphy-Monjack (; November 10, 1977 – December 20, 2009) was an American actress and singer. Born in Atlanta, Murphy moved to Los Angeles as a teenager and pursued a career in acting. Her breakthrough role was as Tai Fras ...

Liam Neeson William John Neeson (born 7 June 1952) is an actor from Northern Ireland. He has received several accolades, including nominations for an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, and two Tony Awards. In 2020, he was placed 7th on '' Th ...

Madonna Madonna Louise Ciccone (; ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. Widely dubbed the " Queen of Pop", Madonna has been noted for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, songwriting, a ...

Freddie Highmore Alfred Thomas Highmore (born 14 February 1992) is an English actor. He is known for his starring roles beginning as a child, in the films '' Finding Neverland'' (2004), '' Charlie and the Chocolate Factory'' (2005), '' August Rush'' (2007), and ...

Ewan McGregor Ewan Gordon McGregor ( ; born 31 March 1971) is a Scottish actor. His accolades include a Golden Globe Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, and the BAFTA Britannia Humanitarian Award. In 2013, he was appointed Officer of the Order of the British ...

Lou Reed Lewis Allan Reed (March 2, 1942October 27, 2013) was an American musician, songwriter, and poet. He was the guitarist, singer, and principal songwriter for the rock band the Velvet Underground and had a solo career that spanned five decades ...

, and others. Consequently, the films are usually shot in English. EuropaCorp Japan, a subsidiary of EuropaCorp based in Tokyo, has for core business the distribution of feature films in Japan. It is a

joint-venture A joint venture (JV) is a business entity created by two or more parties, generally characterized by shared ownership, shared returns and risks, and shared governance. Companies typically pursue joint ventures for one of four reasons: to acce ...

with three Japanese companies:

Asmik Ace , formerly is a Japanese film production and distribution company. In the past, the company has distributed video games. It was formed in 1997 through a merger between the Asmik Corporation and Ace Entertainment, both of Japan. The name Asmik ...

Sumitomo Corporation is one of the largest worldwide ''sogo shosha'' general trading companies, and is a diversified corporation. The company was incorporated in 1919 and is a member company of the Sumitomo Group. It is listed on three Japanese stock exchanges ...

and

Kadokawa Kadokawa may refer to: *Kadokawa Corporation, the holding company of the Kadokawa Group **Kadokawa Content Gate and Kadokawa Mobile, both former names for BookWalker **Kadokawa Future Publishing, a subsidiary of Kadokawa Corporation and the publi ...

. In 2012, EuropaCorp struck a three-year output deal with Chinese film distributor

for 15 feature films. Fundamental Films agreed to co-produce three of these films. In May 2015, the company announced an output deal with Polish film distributor Kino Swiat.

"Cité du Cinéma", French movie studios

EuropaCorp relocated to the

Cité du Cinéma The Cité du Cinéma or Studios of Paris is a film studio complex originally supported and founded by the film director and producer Luc Besson, located in Saint-Denis, in the northern suburbs of Paris, in a renovated power plant, commissioned in ...

in 2012. This movie studio complex, located in Saint-Denis in the close outskirts of

, at build out will have a total of nine film stages, with another 12,000 square metres of space devoted to technical units and 2200 square metres for screening and reception rooms. The cinema school Louis-Lumière National High School is to be relocated to the complex. EuropaCorp signed a lease with the Nef Lumière, owner of the tertiary complex, for space for its permanent staff and the film crews, with extra space for potential new activities. This tertiary complex is financed by both the Caisse des Dépôt and Vinci. EuropaCorp is a minority shareholder in the company operating the studios, joining Euro Media Group, Quinta Communications and Frontline. The Euro Media Group, which owns several film studios throughout Europe, will provide management of daily operations of these studios of

Films

Television series

* ''

No Limit No Limit may refer to: Music Record labels *No Limit Records, a record label founded by Master P * No Limit Forever Records, a record label founded by Romeo Miller, son of Master P Albums * ''No Limit'' (Art Pepper album), 1977 * ''No Limit'' ...

'' (2012–2015) * '' Transporter: The Series'' (2012–2014) * ''Nom de code: Rose'' (2012) * '' XIII: The Series'' (2011–2012) * '' Flight of the Storks'' (2012) * ''

Taxi Brooklyn ''Taxi Brooklyn'' is a French-American action comedy police procedural television series, produced by EuropaCorp Television. The series stars Chyler Leigh and Jacky Ido, and is based upon the film ''Taxi'' written by Luc Besson. On March 6, 2015, ...

'' (2014) * '' Taken'' (2017–2018)

Awards and nominations

* 2009: '' In the Beginning'' directed by Xavier Giannoli competed as France's Official Selection in the Cannes Film Festival. * 2009: ''

I Love You Phillip Morris ''I Love You Phillip Morris'' is a 2009 English-language French black comedy film based on a 1980s and 1990s real-life story of con artist, impostor and multiple prison escapee Steven Jay Russell, as played by Jim Carrey. While incarcerated, Russ ...

'', in which Glenn Ficarra and

John Requa John Requa (born January 1, 1967) is an American screenwriter (with Glenn Ficarra) of ''Cats & Dogs'', ''Bad Santa'' and the 2005 remake '' Bad News Bears''. The DVD commentary for '' Bad News Bears'' revealed that Requa was to have had a bit ro ...

directed the film stars

and

, competed for the Camera d’Or during the Director’s Fortnight. * 2009: '' Taken'', directed by

Pierre Morel Pierre Morel (born 12 May 1964) is a French film director and cinematographer. His work includes '' District 13'', '' From Paris with Love'', and '' Taken.'' Career After spending his formative years in cinema school, Morel debuted in 2000 as ...

, was nominated at the Teen Choice Award for the Action Adventure Movie Award. The movie and its soundtrack composer Nathaniel Mechaly in particular, won the BMI Film Music Award. * 2009: ''Human Zoo'', directed by

Rie Rasmussen Rie Rasmussen (born 14 February 1978) is a Danish actress, film director, writer, model, and photographer. Film After attending film school as a writer-director, Rasmussen made her breakthrough in the film industry when she acted in Brian De Pa ...

, competed at the 59th Berlin Film Festival in the Panorama section, as well as at the film festivals in

Copenhagen Copenhagen ( or .; da, København ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a proper population of around 815.000 in the last quarter of 2022; and some 1.370,000 in the urban area; and the wider Copenhagen metropolitan a ...

and

Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro ( , , ; literally 'River of January'), or simply Rio, is the capital of the state of the same name, Brazil's third-most populous state, and the second-most populous city in Brazil, after São Paulo. Listed by the GaWC as a b ...

. * 2007: ''

'', directed by Xavier Gens, won the Golden Trailer Award 2008 for Best Motion/Title Graphics. * 2007: ''

'', directed by

, won the NRJ Ciné Award 2007 for Best Dubbing; the film was also nominated at the Young Artist Award for Best International Family Feature Film and Best Performance in an International Feature Film - Leading Young Actor with

. * 2006: '' The Chinese Botanist's Daughters'', directed by

Dai Sijie Dai Sijie (born 1954) is a Chinese French author and filmmaker. Early life Dai was born in Putian, Fujian, in 1954. His parents, Professor Dai Baoming and Professor Hu Xiaosu, were professors of medical sciences at West China University ...

, won in 2006 the Best Artistic Contribution and People’s Choice Awards at the Montreal World Film Festival, and was nominated for the «Grand Prix des Amériques». The film won the Best Canadian Film or Video Award at the 2007 Toronto Inside Out Lesbian and Gay Film and Video Festival. * 2005: ''

The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada ''The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada'' (also known as ''Three Burials'') is a 2005 neo-Western film directed by and starring Tommy Lee Jones and written by Guillermo Arriaga.

'', by

, was nominated for the

Palme d'Or The Palme d'Or (; en, Golden Palm) is the highest prize awarded at the Cannes Film Festival. It was introduced in 1955 by the festival's organizing committee. Previously, from 1939 to 1954, the festival's highest prize was the Grand Prix du Fe ...

, and Tommy Lee Jones won the Best Actor Award while

Guillermo Arriaga Guillermo Arriaga Jordán (; born 13 March 1958) is a Mexican author, screenwriter, director and producer. Self-defined as "a hunter who works as a writer," he is best known for his Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay and BAFTA Award fo ...

won the Best Script Award. The movie was given a place of honor at the Satellite Awards 2005 and the Independent Spirit Awards 2005. It also won the "Grand Prix" at the Flanders International Film Festival and the Bronze Wrangler at the Western Heritage Awards.