Studiocanal has struck a three-year theatrical distribution deal with Sun Africa Group (SAG), a member of the Telefilms Group’s Sun Distribution Group, covering a slate of English-language feature films in South Africa, as the French studio moves to deepen its presence in one of the continent’s leading film markets.
Under the agreement, SAG will handle theatrical releases for Studiocanal’s main English-language slate in the territory, including animation titles, films from its genre label 6th Dimension, and select South African productions developed with local broadcaster M-Net. The deal is designed to establish a regular pipeline of both international and local films for South African audiences.
The first title out of the gate will be Pressure, a thriller directed by Anthony Maras (Hotel Mumbai) and starring Andrew Scott, Brendan Fraser and Kerry Condon. Further releases under the deal include Full Phil, the Quentin Dupieux-directed comedy starring Woody Harrelson and Kristen Stewart as father and daughter, which premiered as a midnight screening in Cannes last week; Danny Boyle’s Ink, Elsinore, The Custom of the Country and Sean Byrne’s The Mannequin, with additional titles to be announced later.
The partnership builds on an existing relationship between the two companies, which have worked together since SAG’s founding, including on the South African release of We Live in Time, the Studiocanal-produced drama starring Andrew Garfield and Florence Pugh.
The announcement comes as Studiocanal deepens its footprint in South Africa more broadly. The company recently unveiled The Road Home, directed by Academy Award-winner Bill Condon and starring Cynthia Erivo, which is set to begin shooting in the country at the end of June. The film chronicles the friendship between musicians Hugh Masekela and Paul Simon against the backdrop of apartheid-era South Africa, and signals the studio’s appetite for stories rooted in the region.
The deal also fits into a wider strategic push by Studiocanal’s parent Canal+ to expand its creative and commercial presence across the African continent.
