Luc Besson and EuropaCorp is in Talks With Netflix For a Multi-Movie Deal
For the most part, I'm a fan of the films that Luc Besson has made over the course of his career. The last film he made through his EuropaCorp production company was Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets, which I like more than most people, but it was ultimately a flop.
Well, Besson isn't going to let that get him down. He's jumping back into action and it looks like his future lies with Netflix. They are currently in discussions and if everything works out, the French filmmaker will direct and produce several movies for the streaming service over the next few years.
According to Variety, "the movies would be labeled Netflix originals and would be budgeted in the $30 million range." With that kind of budget don't expect to see that Valerian sequel that Besson wanted to do on Netflix, but I'm sure we'll get some cool action thrillers!
If the deal goes through, Netflix might also buy into EuropaCorp’s movie library, which includes such franchises as Taken, Taxi, Transporter, and more. The report goes on to explain that this kind of deal isn't a normal move for Netflix:
Buying up or buying into EuropaCorp would be an unusual move for Netflix, which made its first and only company acquisition last August with Millarworld, the comic-book publishing company founded by Mark Millar, creator of “Old Man Logan” and “Kingsman.” However, scooping the rights to Besson’s famous franchises would allow Netflix to feed its pipeline with TV and film adaptations which boast a global appeal. Besson would join a flurry of directors, notably Martin Scorsese and Damien Chazelle, who have started working with Netflix.
For EuropaCorp, partnering with Netflix would represent a move away from its traditional distribution model, which relies on strong international sales and collaborations with independent distributors – such as Universum in Germany, Belga in Belgium, Falcon in the Middle East and Scanbox in Scandinavia – with whom EuropaCorp has output deals.
There's some cool film project that could come out of this and I'm looking forward to seeing what they will be.