France's TF1 Studios Joins Lionsgate's Globalgate Consortium

The division of the French commercial TV giant becomes the 13th international partner for Lionsgate' local-film remake venture led by Paul Presburger, William Pfeiffer and Clifford Werber.

TF1 Studios, the theatrical division of French commercial television company TF1 Group, has signed up to Lionsgate's local-film remake consortium Globalgate.

Globalgate, set up by Paul Presburger, William Pfeiffer and Clifford Werber, aims to take advantage of the boom in local-language features worldwide by remaking local hits, mainly for other non-U.S. markets.

With TF1 Studios, Globalgate now has 13 international production and distribution partners, including Mexico's Televisa, Tobis in Germany, Rai in Taly and Kadokawa in Japan, among others.

“Globalgate has successfully harnessed the fast-growing local content market and their growing roster of blue-chip production and distribution partners is both very compatible with TF1 Studio and will advance our footing in France and globally,” TF1 Studio Deputy CEO Nathalie Toulza Madar said in a statement announcing the deal Wednesday.

Globalgate has previously worked with French studio Gaumont, adapting Franck Dubosc's rom-com Rolling to You for the Chinese market. Globalgate's co-founders said they would continue to collaborate with Gaumont on all existing projects as well as “complementary opportunities” should they arise.

Globalgate currently has a development pipeline of more than 40 films and series, among them remakes of Pantelion/Televisa’s Mexican hit Instructions Not Included for the Indian and Korea markets; the Argentine rom-com No Kids, which the company is redoing for Germany, Korea and Mexico; and Terror Live, a action thriller from Lotte studios in Korea, which has Japanese and Indian remakes in the works.