StudioCanal Germany and local independent Prokino have signed a major deal that will see StudioCanal take over the physical and digital distribution of Prokino’s back catalog for the German market.
The deal, announced Thursday, includes more than 100 titles released by Prokino in German theaters in 2019 or earlier. Among the biggest hits are Oscar winner Slumdog Millionaire (2008), French-language blockbusters Amélie (2001) and Welcome to the Sticks (2008), and Emil Atef’s 2018 Romy Schneider biopic 3 Days in Quiberon, which won seven German Film Awards, including for best film, best director and best actress for Marie Bäumer as Schneider.
StudioCanal already has a theatrical partnership in place with Prokino for current releases. StudioCanal CEO Kalle Friz said the Prokino catalog would complement the company’s extensive library, particularly its Arthaus label, which focuses on European and international productions. The company has rights to such classics as Wim Wenders’ Wings of Desire (1987), Francis Ford Coppola’s Apocalypse Now (1979) and Luc Besson’s Léon: The Professional (1994). StudioCanal recently launched a streaming service, Arthaus+, to better exploit this back catalog.
Prokino owners Ira von Gienanth and Stephan Hutter said the deal would provide capital and free up resources to allow the Munich-based distributor to focus on “our core competence in purchasing and marketing current high-quality cinema highlights.”
Prokino’s recent acquisitions for the German market include Michael Angelo Covino’s The Climb and Kristen Stewart starrer Seberg.
