On December 16, 2025, Canal+ Group staged its first large-scale, studio-style content presentation, titled “The Original+,” at the Olympia in Paris, France, laying out its premium film and series priorities for 2026 and beyond. The event functioned as a high-visibility consolidation point for strategies that Canal+ has been building across production, international sales, and African operations since the mid-September 2025 completion of its acquisition of MultiChoice.
Note: I was not present in person, but Akoroko had on-the-ground access to a full recording of the showcase, ensuring this coverage.
Hosted by Thomas Ngijol, the French-Cameroonian actor-director, the showcase brought together Canal+ executives, StudioCanal leadership, international partners, and talent across film and television. A public conversation between Canal+ Group CEO Maxime Saada and Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos placed Canal+’s positioning within the global premium content economy, with theatrical distribution and international circulation emphasized alongside subscription platforms.
What Was Revealed About African and Diaspora Developments
The content slate was introduced by Anna Marsh, who holds a dual role as Chief Content Officer (outside sport) for Canal+ Group and head of StudioCanal, placing her at the intersection of European production, African commissioning, and global sales.
Among the English-language projects presented was “Heist of Benin,” directed by Ava DuVernay and starring David Oyelowo. The specific story details were not disclosed, but the title might reference the 1897 British looting of the Benin Bronzes — royal artworks taken from the Kingdom of Benin (in Nigeria) and now the subject of ongoing restitution efforts. The project aligns with Canal+’s stated plan to channel selected African stories into StudioCanal’s internationally oriented pipeline.
Marsh also confirmed development of a Josephine Baker biopic, directed by French-Senegalese filmmaker Maïmouna Doucouré. Production is scheduled to begin in 2026. This project sits within StudioCanal’s theatrical slate for the coming years, also positioned for international circulation.
Tahar Rahim, the French-Algerian actor, featured prominently in discussions around a large-scale theatrical adaptation of Hugo’s “Les Misérables,” directed by Fred Cavayé and scheduled for release in December 2026. Rahim plays Javert, a main antagonist of the 1862 novel. The actor also discussed “Prisoner,” an international series commissioned for Canal+ and the UK’s Sky.
Malian actor Mamadou Sidibé and French-Tunisian actor Sami Bouajila appeared together to present “Un prophete,” a television series inspired by Jacques Audiard’s film of the same name. Tewfik Jallab, the French-Moroccan actor, presented “Apollo Has Fallen,” extending the franchise into a new television installment directed by Howard Overman.
Nomzamo Mbatha, the South African actor and producer known for “Shaka iLembe,” appeared on stage and spoke briefly on Canal+ Group’s acquisition of MultiChoice. She said it was important to see Canal+ operate on the African continent and reiterated their intention to work with local producers and filmmakers and take African talent to international audiences, referencing “Spinners 2” as an exportable series.
How “The Original+” Fits the Broader Africa Strategy
Ultimately, the December 16 showcase functioned more as a public synthesis of strategies already outlined in November newsletters. Earlier reporting established that Canal+ intends to:
- Use StudioCanal as the export and sales engine for selected African series and films.
- Treat Africa as a source of intellectual property and creative partnership, rather than a separate or peripheral market.
- Anchor high-end African production initially in South Africa, while maintaining large-scale local commissioning across Nigeria, Southern Africa, and Francophone markets.
- Balance globally oriented titles like “Shaka iLembe” and “Spinners” — and now diaspora projects including “Heist of Benin” and “Un prophète” — with hyper-local productions designed for domestic audiences.
Marsh reiterated that StudioCanal invests approximately €220 million annually in film and television production and finances or distributes around 80 films and 20 series per year, operating across a network of 200 production labels and managing a library of more than 9,400 titles. These figures underpin Canal+’s stated capacity to support both European and African-originated projects at scale.
The presentation followed Canal+’s recent acquisition of a 34% stake in UGC, one of France’s leading cinema chains, reinforcing the group’s commitment to theatrical exhibition, at least in Europe. Canal+’s total exit from cinema ownership in Africa (via CanalOlympia) makes it clear that theatrical exhibition does not figure as a core business or distribution pathway in its current Africa strategy.
StudioCanal also confirmed continued exploration of distribution expansion beyond its current territories, which include France, the United Kingdom, Germany/Austria, Poland, Spain, and Australia/New Zealand.
As Canal+ prepares to release a detailed MultiChoice integration and synergy plan in Q1 2026, the Paris event provided yet another public snapshot of how African production, MultiChoice’s infrastructure, and StudioCanal’s international sales operation are currently being discussed together within the group.
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