French film and TV production powerhouse Gaumont (Narcos, Lupin) may be celebrating its 130th anniversary this year, making it the world’s longest-running continuously operating studio, but it is not resting on its laurels. That was one of the messages during a Tuesday keynote appearance by Gaumont USA president Nicolas Atlan at the fifth annual Iberseries & Platino Industria.
Atlan addressed the 10th anniversary of Netflix hit show Narcos, which opened the door for more Spanish-language content, and whether it could return in some form. Asked if he had any news to share about a return of Narcos at this stage, he said: “I wish. We’re working on different approaches for Narcos. Then, it is [a question of is there] appetite from Netflix or not, or can we do it with someone else’s? We don’t know yet, but we for sure are looking at different approaches.”
The executive had an update on another Latin American project to share during his appearance. “We’ve just finished shooting in Mexico on Netflix’s Mexico ’86 about the story about Mexico at the [soccer] World Cup in 1986.” Written and directed by Gabriel Ripstein (An Unknown Enemy), it stars Diego Luna.
Asked about the status of season 4 of Lupin, he had no further details but said: We just finished this one.”
Atlan came to his current Gaumont role after running its animation division, and he is still working on a 3D animated film, namely High in the Clouds, an adaptation of Paul McCartney’s eponymous 2005 children’s book about the adventures of a teenage squirrel who accidentally sparks a revolution against a bossy diva owl who has banned all music from their town. He unveiled that Celine Dion and Lupin star Omar Sy will be part of the French voice cast, along with Benjamin Lavernhe, Antoine de Caunes, Clémence Poésy, Pom Klementieff and Alain Chabat.
Dion, Poésy, Klementieff and Chabat are also part of the previously unveiled English-language voice cast, led by Himesh Patel and Hannah Waddington, and also featuring McCartney and Ringo Starr.
Asked about Gaumont’s approach to AI, Atlan on Tuesday shared: “Of course, we look at it. There are two concerns. We have a big catalog, so the copyright and the IP is a concern. So we are very careful on this. Also, at the same time, we see it as a tool. For animation, for sure, it’s going to be a big tool. … In production, it is going to be a very important tool.” Concluded the Gaumont USA president: “So, it’s [about] how to use the technology [to] generally tell stories that are going to be able to travel all around the world.”
Gaumont looks to balance its tradition and legacy with innovation and the needs of the digital age, Atlan said more broadly, highlighting what CEO Sidonie Dumas always emphasizes to her team. “She doesn’t want us to live in nostlagia,” he explained. “From the beginning, the company was already based on how to use technology and to tell stories. … And I think this is our legacy, that whatever happens and whatever evolution [we see], whatever we talk about, AI or whatever can come, but the idea is always to tell stories and to be able to build emotion through stories.” Concluded Atlan: “In fact, one of our slogans is ‘130 years of emotion’.”