Studiocanal rolls out new label to expand literary adaptations

Playing Nice (Source: ITV)

StudioCanal has launched a new label focusing on literary adaptations.

Studiocanal Stories is being rolled out to target the growing appetite for novels among TV commissioners, with the company highlighting that French film and TV shows based on books had grown by a third between 2015 and 2021.

The new unit’s management team has not been confirmed but the company’s parent, Canal+ Group, appointed Audrey Brugère as director  of literary adaptations in 2022.

She has been responsible for working on collaborations between parent company Vivendi’s publishing house Editis and its subsidiaries StudioCanal and Canal+, reporting to StudioCanal chief Anna Marsh.

The French firm has been prolific in adapting novels for TV, ranging from the BBC’s War Of The Worlds to Harlan Coben’s The Stranger.

It is currently working on ITV and Canal+ drama Playing Nice, based on the thriller from author JP Delaney.