Studiocanal in TV tie-up with star Cumberbatch

French giant Studiocanal became one of Europe’s biggest TV show makers Monday when it announced a deal with British “Sherlock” star Benedict Cumberbatch and two other big name producers.

Studiocanal, already the continent’s top film producer, is taking a 20-percent stake in Cumberbatch’s own SunnyMarch TV and a third of Spain’s biggest independent production company, Bambu.

Bambu, which is making the first Spanish series shot in English “Refugiados” (Refugees) with the BBC, has also just agreed to make the first Spanish-language series for streaming video giant Netflix.

The deal also includes Canalstudio, the production arm of the Canal+ empire, taking a fifth of London-based Urban Myth Films, whose founders are behind the BBC hit “Merlin” and the Bafta-winning “Misfits”.

Cumberbatch, who has been attempting to branch out into production, said: “It is exciting for me, having filmed ‘The Imitation Game’ and ‘Tinker Tailor Solder Spy’ (with them), to reunite once more with Studiocanal.”

The tie-up was announced by Studiocanal’s chairman Didier Lupfer at the MIPTV festival in Cannes, France, the world’s biggest TV and digital content market.

“We are especially pleased to be able to collaborate and develop projects with top personalities such as the producers, screenwriters, and actors linked to all three companies.

“We aim to develop series with strong European roots that also have international appeal,” he added.

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