Anna Marsh to Take Over as CEO of Studiocanal as Didier Lupfer Exits

By Elsa Keslassy

LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – Anna Marsh, currently the managing director of Studiocanal U.K. and executive vice president of international sales, will take over as CEO of on Dec. 16. Marsh succeeds Didier Lupfer, who is leaving to pursue his own production projects, the company announced Tuesday.

“Anna is the ideal person to manage Studiocanal after being EVP Distribution and then managing director of our U.K. subsidiary,” said Maxime Saada, president of Studiocanal and CEO of Canal Plus Group. “Her in-depth knowledge of the company and our markets as well as her international profile will be essential to accelerate the development of Studiocanal in its ambition of becoming a leader in the production and distribution of European films and series.”

Marsh will continue to run Studiocanal U.K. during the company’s search for someone to succeed her as managing director. Educated in New Zealand and Paris, the well-respected executive joined Studiocanal in 2008 after working at Télé Images International and TF1 Intl., and became head of Studiocanal’s international sales in 2013. Marsh then became executive VP of international sales in 2017 and started handling sales activities for films and TV series as well as catalogue titles in all international territories, including those where Studiocanal runs direct distribution operations.

Lupfer took over from Oliver Courson as president and CEO of Studiocanal in 2016. Before joining Canal Plus Group, Lupfer was an independent producer of such films as “Gainsbourg: A Heroic Life” and Yann Samuell’s “War of the Buttons,” and co-founded the movie/TV division of the videogame company Ubisoft, which produced “Assassin’s Creed” and the toon TV franchise “Raving Rabbids,” among other titles.

Under Lupfer’s leadership, Studiocanal has ramped up its business in premium drama production and distribution in France, the U.K., Spain and Scandinavia through several key investments in production banners such as Benedict Cumberbatch’s company Sunny March, RED and Urban Myth in the U.K., as well as Spain’s Bambu, among others. Lupfer also led Studiocanal to build on hit family franchise such as “Paddington” and “Shawn the Sheep the Movie.”