Jeremy Zag: Last News

EXCLUSIVE: ZAG, the French-U.S. animation studio behind Miraculous – Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir, has launched a streaming content unit, and lined up its first project.

French cinema saw its fortunes rise at the international box office in 2023 after three difficult Covid-19 and post pandemic years, according to the annual report of export agency Unifrance released on Tuesday.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent While Greta Gerwig’s girl-power blockbuster “Barbie” is ruling over the French box office, another much younger female-led franchise, “Miraculous: Ladybug & Cat Noir” has managed to pull approximately €8 million ($8.9 million) at the local B.O., from more than 1.1 million tickets, since bowing on July 5. Budgeted around $80 million and directed by Jeremy Zag, “Miraculous: Ladybug & Cat Noir” ranks as one of France’s most ambitious animated films to date. Featuring eight original songs, a queer storyline and a postcard-worthy Parisian backdrop, the musical film broke ground as the first female-powered superhero movie set in the French capital. Even as it faces stiff competition from “Barbie” and Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer,” “Miraculous: Ladybug & Cat Noir” has enough legs to match or surpass recent non-U.S. animated hits such as “Ballerina,” which sold 1.8 million tickets in France. It garnered 318,144 admissions on its opening day in theaters, a record for a French animated film. In Germany, the movie sold 586,148 tickets in three weeks and is currently the leading family title at the box office.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent France engaged in a record 144 international co-productions in 2022, while the number of majority French movies produced dropped by 10% to 208 titles, according to a study unveiled by the National Film Board (CNC). For the first time since 2003, half of the movies produced in France were international co-productions (with 33 countries) last year, compared with 42.1 % in 2021 and 39.6 % between 2017 and 2019. Investment in films dropped by 12.8% to €1.18 billion ($1.30 billion) compared with 2021, while foreign investment broke a 10-year record. In France, TV channels as well as streamers (since the start of 2022) are required to invest a percentage of annual revenue on French and European productions. As such, they invested a total of €280.78 million in 159 films in 2022, a 8.3 % drop compared with the average invested between 2017 and 2019.

EXCLUSIVE: On the heels of us revealing their Katy Perry animated musical Melody, The Trial Of The Chicago 7 and The Pale Blue Eye outfit Cross Creek Pictures and animation specialist Zag have set an agreement to develop and produce a slate of ten animated, live-action and hybrid format features, the majority of which will be musicals.

EXCLUSIVE: Cross Creek Pictures has acquired Drudge, the Black List spec script by Cody Brotter about internet reporter Matt Drudge’s rise to power. ’

EXCLUSIVE: A Cannes Market teeming with strong film packages adds a new one.

Katy Perry has joined the cast of the forthcoming animated musical feature Melody.The news about the 37-year-old performer was initially reported by Deadline, who noted that she would also serve as one of the project's producers.The hitmaker also spoke to the media outlet and gave her thoughts about signing on to voice the movie's lead. On screen:Katy Perry has joined the cast of the forthcoming animated musical feature Melody; she is seen earlier this monthMelody is centered on a kind-hearted singer of the same name who lives in New York City and possesses seven magical musical notes that also guide her moral compass.The performer is then tasked with overcoming the evil forces of pop queen Rose Stellar, who is determined to use every available manner to destroy the singer.

Huge news for Katy Perry!

EXCLUSIVE: In a hot package for EFM buyers this weekend, Jean-Claude Van Damme will star in What’s My Name? Directed by Jeremy Zag, the film will be produced by Cross Creek’s Tyler Thompson, alongside Zag and Van Damme. Cross Creek is fully financing a film that will reunite the fighting icon in matches against some of his past screen rivals.