The Cité du Cinéma (French pronunciation: [site dy sinema]) 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 1933 to power the Parisian metro.[1] The studio complex is intended to be a competitor of Cinecittà in Rome, Pinewood in London and Babelsberg in Berlin. It was inaugurated on 21 September 2012. In February 2022 Tunisian-French film producer Tarak Ben Ammar finalized a deal to purchase Studios de Paris.[2]

Main entrance

History

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The facility was originally designed in 2000 by Luc Besson. The project was officially launched in 2004, and required several months of technical specifications and financial structures. The project is now supported by major companies in the film and television production sector (film development, lighting, make-up etc.)

This should strengthen the role of cluster-image Plaine Commune with its fifty television studios (including the Plaine Saint-Denis), and 14 movie sets (in Epinay-sur-Seine, Aubervilliers, Stains and Saint-Ouen).

The Cité du Cinéma was originally set to open in May 2012 in accordance with the 2012 Cannes Film Festival. After some minor delays it did finally open its doors on Friday, September 21, 2012 in the presence of many international movie stars and public figures (Dianna Agron, Tarak Ben Ammar, Samuel Benchetrit, Luc Besson, Carole Bouquet, Clotilde Courau, Mireille Darc, Robert De Niro, Jamel Debbouze, Virginie Efira, Pascal Elbé, Mylène Farmer, Marina Foïs, Whoopi Goldberg, Salma Hayek, Jimmy Jean-Louis, Gérard Krawczyk, Christopher Lambert, Jack Lang, Mélanie Laurent, Virginie Ledoyen, Tommy Lee Jones, Gilles Lellouche, Benoît Magimel, Sophie Marceau, Kad Merad, Géraldine Nakache, Michelle Pfeiffer, Jean Reno, Jean-Paul Rouve, Ludivine Sagnier, Marie Sara, Éric Serra, Virginie Silla, Laura Smet, Melissa Theuriau, Jean Todt, Michelle Yeoh, Elsa Zylberstein). On the occasion of the inauguration, a short film on the construction of the complex was shown to the visiting guests.

In December 2013, the Parquet de Paris opened a preliminary investigation about the public financement of the Cité du cinéma.[3][4]

In February 2022 it was announced that producer Tarak Ben Ammar had finalized his acquisition of the Studios of Paris, the deal is estimated in the $35-million range. Ben Ammar, who co-founded the Studios with Luc Besson a decade ago and owned a 25-percent stake in it, completed the acquisition via Eagle Pictures France, a subsidiary of the Italian production and distribution powerhouse. Ben Ammar took full ownership of the Studios from the former shareholders, including Besson, who owned a 9.9% stake in the complex through his holding company Frontline. The other shareholders who are set to exit the studios are EuropaCorp, Besson's former production banner which is now mainly owned by Vine Alternative and has a 40% stake in the property, as well as Euromedia, a broadcast facilities provider who has a 25% stake. Other bidders who circled the Studios include U.S. funds such as Oaktree Capital Management and TPG Real Estate.[5]

The complex was used as part of the athlete's village during the 2024 Summer Olympics[6]

Events

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In May 2013, the blogger Garance Doré made a report on the École de la Cité, founded by Luc Besson, whose holding Kering is a partner.

May 22, 2013, the Cité du Cinéma welcomes former United States President Bill Clinton for "30 years of the discovery of AIDS." For this event organized by UNITAID, more than 400 public officials were invited (Nikos Aliagas, Cécilia Attias, François Bayrou, Yamina Benguigui, Luc Besson, Carole Bouquet, Philippe Douste-Blazy, Nolwenn Leroy, Pierre Moscovici, Pascal Nègre, Dominique Ouattara, Christiane Taubira, Valérie Trierweiler) and were gathered in the nave for dinner.

October 3, 2013, the Cité du Cinéma hosted 130 attendants for the launch of its "movie nights", the first in a planned series of similar evenings with a specific theme. The theme of the inaugural event was Bollywood.

October 10, 2013, the VIP restaurant Le B.O. was inaugurated in the presence of many public figures (Luc Besson, Nader Boussandel, Emma Colberti, Vanessa Demouy, Dominique Farrugia, Xavier Giannoli, Philippe Gildas, Vahina Giocante, Tewfik Jallab, Scarlett Johansson, Hande Kodja, Henri Leconte, Philippe Lellouche, Mathias Malzieu, Caterina Murino, Virginie Silla, Alain Terzian, Ariel Zeitoun).

December 6, 2013, the FIA hosted its annual gala : The FIA Prize Giving 2013. 800 people attended in the presence of Luc Besson and Jean Todt, and many personalities from the world of motorsport : Sébastien Loeb, Alain Prost, Loïc Duval, Sebastian Vettel, Sébastien Ogier, Fernando Alonso, Mark Webber, Allan McNish, Tom Kristensen, Yvan Muller and Robert Kubica.

From February 15 – October 5, 2014, the Star Wars Identities exhibition could be found in two studio areas, roughly 2,000 m2 And included over 200 original pieces from the archives of the Lucas Arts Museum, including models, props, costumes, sketches that built the universe Star Wars of George Lucas.[7]

Starting on April 4 – September 6, 2015, the Harry Potter exhibition takes place in parts of the studio area. Film sets, original costumes and creatures from the films based on J. K. Rowling novels will be on display.

Starting on April 13 – September 2, 2018, the Jurassic World exhibition takes place in parts of the studio area. Original creatures from the films based on Michael Crichton novels will be on display.

Tenants

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Numbers

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  • An area of 62,000 m2 at the site of the Pleyel Crossroads :
    • 500 m2 for the makeup school Make Up For Ever : four training rooms and a pro shop dedicated to makeup.
    • 571 m2 for the mezzanine : 32 meters long, 17 meters wide. It can accommodate 500 people for cocktails and 380 people for a seated meal.
    • 1,129 m2 for the restaurant : 32 meters long, 25 meters wide and 17 meters high. Five different buffets. It can accommodate 1,500 people for cocktails and 650 people for a seated meal. A cafeteria, gym, florist, grocery store and a nursery with a capacity of 10 cribs.
    • 4,000 m2 for the offices : carpentry, painting workshop, the workshop model, the locksmith, the light shop, camera shop, machinery, office manufacturers, production offices, dressing rooms actors, 12 VIP boxes with a terrace, more spacious, are upstairs. In front of the boxes : dressing – makeup – hairdressing, sewing costumes and more inside the building, storage spaces.
    • 4,280 m2 for the central nave : 214 meters long, 20 meters wide and 18 meters high. It can accommodate 2,500 people.
    • 8,000 m2 for École nationale supérieure Louis-Lumière.
    • 9,350 m2 for 9 studios : 613 m2 for studio 8, 776 m2 for studios 1 and 2, 792 m2 for studio 7, 998 m2 for studio 6, 1,045 m2 for studios 3 and 4, 1,243 m2 for studio 9 and 2,068 m2 for studio 5 on 16 meters height. 5 pools of 150 m2 for studios 2, 3, 7 and 9 and 420 m2 for studio 5 a depth of 3 meters. The floors are wood studios 1, 2, 3, 7, and 8 and polished concrete for apartments 4, 5, 6 and 9. All trays are equipped with a technical grid extended over the entire surface of the plate and heating and air conditioning (two plants redistribute icy cold or hot air on all trays). They can accommodate up to 1,500 people for all kinds of events : convention, dance, workshop.
    • 19,000 m2 for the headquarters of EuropaCorp.
  • The parking: 40 parking spaces during the day and 150 in the evening.
  • The auditorium : 500 seats for professionals. The stage is 18 meters long and 7 meters high.
  • A cost of 140 million euros : 130 million by the Caisse des dépôts et consignations and 10 million by Vinci.
  • Architect office : Reichen and Robert.

Shooting

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Feature Film

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Television

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Short Film

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Advertisements

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Music Video

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Access

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References

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  1. ^ "Paris cinema". Paris Digest. 2018. Retrieved 2018-09-13.
  2. ^ "EuropaCorp Sells Studios de Paris to Producer Tarak Ben Ammar in $37M Deal". 23 February 2022.
  3. ^ Cité du cinéma de Luc Besson : le parquet de Paris ouvre une enquête, Cité du cinéma de Luc Besson: une enquête préliminaire ouverte, Enquête préliminaire sur le financement de la Cité du cinéma de Luc Besson.
  4. ^ Gros plan sur les magouilles de l'empire Besson Archived 2014-04-25 at the Wayback Machine.
  5. ^ "Tarak Ben Ammar Finalizes Acquisition of Studios of Paris, Home of 'Emily in Paris' (EXCLUSIVE)". 22 February 2022.
  6. ^ AFP, Rédaction avec (2024-02-29). "Paris 2024 : la Cité du cinéma s'apprête à nourrir les athlètes et personnels jour et nuit". Citoyens.com (in French). Retrieved 2024-07-28.
  7. ^ Star Wars Identities : l'exposition à la Cité du Cinéma avec SyFy
  8. ^ "'Notre Dame on Fire': Jean-Jacques Annaud on Teaming with 'A Prophet' Scribe Thomas Bidegain for Big-Canvas Movie About Iconic 2019 Blaze, Pathé Launches Sales — Cannes". 17 June 2020.
  9. ^ "EuropaCorp Sells Studios de Paris to Producer Tarak Ben Ammar in $37M Deal". 23 February 2022.
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