France’s Canal+ Group, has acquired a 51% majority stake in prominent Italian distribution and production company Lucky Red, marking the latest consolidation move in Europe.
Lucky Red, which is a leading Italian indie film distributor, and is also active in film and TV production, as well as sales, was among the few remaining Italian outfits that had not yet been snapped up by a bigger international group.
The Rome-based company’s recent releases include “Sentimental Value,” “Nouvelle Vague,” “Greenland 2: Migration” and Robbie Williams biopic “Better Man.” Their standout productions comprise Gabriele Mainetti’s “Freaks Out” and Netflix’s first Italian film “On My Skin.” More recent productions Lucky Red has been involved in comprise two works by French directors: Robin Campillo’s “Enzo” and Christophe Honoré’s “Marcello Mio.”
Lucky Red is also partners with Italy’s Indigo Film in sales company True Colours.
The deal, which reportedly values the 51% Lucky Red stake at roughly $31 million, is not expected to lead to management changes or impact creative decisions within the company that was founded in 1987 by Andrea Occhipinti and Kermit Smith. It is believed to be a strategic partnership geared towards European synergies. Occhipinti (pictured above) holds the remaining 49% stake.
Lucky Red over the past 39 years has distributed some 400 titles by the world’s top auteurs including Ang Lee, Jean Pierre e Luc Dardenne, Nanni Moretti, Aki Kaurismaki, Mario Martone, Hayao Miyazaki, Alexander Payne, Stephen Frears, Pablo Larrain, Paolo Sorrentino, Cristian Mungiu, Todd Haynes, Sofia Coppola, Denis Villeneuve, Wes Anderson, Darren Aronofsky, Jia Zhangke, Wong Kar Wai, Tim Burton, Asghar Farahdi, Luc Besson, Jim Jarmusch, and Jafar Panahi.
The Lucky Red acquisition deal was reportedly inked in Rome by Occhipinti, along with business partners
Valerio Scarinci and Stefano Massenzi, with StudioCanal CEO Anna Marsh.
In 2024 Lucky Red reported revenues of over €50 million ($58.8 million) and a net profit of €3.7 million ($4.35 million). Revenues from distribution in 2025 reached nearly €24 million ($28 million) placing the company eighth among Italian distributors last year.
Vivendi‘s Lucky Red buy follows a series of acquistions of Italian companies by French groups in recent years including BIM Distribuzione by Wild Bunch, Palomar and Our Films by Mediawan, and Groenlandia by Banijay.
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