The Cité du Cinéma (French pronunciation:[sitedysinema]) 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]
History
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).
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]
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.
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.
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.
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.
