Hulu has secured US streaming rights for Paris Has Fallen, a highly anticipated series from StudioCanal based on Gerard Butler’s successful Has Fallen film franchise. According to Deadline exclusive, the action-packed series will debut on Hulu later this year, following its strong performance in France, where it quickly became a top-three original on Canal+.
Starring Spiral actor Tewfik Jallab, Paris Has Fallen is an eight-part thriller co-produced by StudioCanal, ZDF, and War of the Worlds producer Urban Myth Films. The series centers around Vincent Taleb, a French Minister’s protection officer, who finds himself in a race against time to stop a terror group led by the calculating villain, Jacob. With MI6 operative Zara, played by Ritu Arya, Vincent uncovers a wider conspiracy, suspecting one of his colleagues is betraying their security efforts.
The series has already attracted major international attention, with StudioCanal closing deals with Amazon Prime Video for the UK and Ireland, and SBS in Australia. ZDF will distribute it in Germany, with additional agreements made across Europe, Asia, Africa, and more.
“Because it is based on the Has Fallen franchise, that is something that was important to them [Hulu],” said Anne Chérel, StudioCanal’s Chief Commercial Officer. “It is something they were very familiar with. After the Olympics, for Hulu and other partners around the world, having the first season in Paris was really exciting,” added Cherel.
The series has been described as a modern-day Die Hard by StudioCanal’s Head of International Sales, Chloe Marquet, who explained that Hulu was keen to tap into the nostalgic action-thriller audience.
“They said it was like Die Hard but with a modern twist. They wanted to speak to that audience, who are maybe a bit nostalgic for these films,” said Marquet.
Looking ahead, StudioCanal sees potential for more installments in the Has Fallen series. “It will obviously depend on how successful the series is in France, but also in other geographies. The plan would be to go to another city. There are so many opportunities in terms of fascinating cities,” said Chérel.
The series, produced by Johnny Capps, Julian Murphy, and Howard Overman for Urban Myth Films, also brings on board Butler’s G-Base and Millennium Media, with Butler himself and several top industry figures attached as executive producers.
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