Cirque du Soleil Launches Movie, TV Production Banner
Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group is opening its big tent to producing longform content with Hollywood heavyweights by launching Cirque du Soleil Studio.
The new venture will kick off with a partnership with Ridley Scott and Scott Free Productions to jointly develop and produce a feature film based on O, the long-running water-based stage production at the Bellagio in Las Vegas. “We are delighted to be partnering with such a visionary and iconic brand that is Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group,” Michael Pruss, president of film production at Scott Free, said in a statement about bringing the world of O to the big screen.
Cirque du Soleil Studio will be led by Susan Levison as its Los Angeles-based general manager, film and TV. Most recently, Levison served as head of studios at WWE Studios, where she relaunched the company’s global content studio and sold multiple projects to Netflix, A&E and Peacock, among others.
Before that, she was senior vp of alternative programming at CBS Television Studios, responsible for all unscripted development and production across cable, streaming and digital platforms. At Cirque du Soleil, Levison will oversee development of programming across scripted and unscripted TV, film, animation and documentaries.
“I’m thrilled to be joining the vibrant and talented team at Cirque du Soleil during such an exciting time of growth and transformation. We intend to leverage our extensive IP library to create TV and film projects that surprise and delight our audience,” Levison said in her own statement.
Montreal-based Cirque is looking to the new studio division as a way to spark new ancillary revenues on entertainment platforms, while driving new fans to its popular live shows brand. Despite becoming best known for its traveling and permanent circus shows, Cirque du Soleil has in the past diversified into film, TV and digital exploitation of its brand in partnership with Canada’s Bell Media and Saban Brands, among others.
Now the Canadian company is looking to convince Hollywood directors and other creative heavyweights to join the circus and make global content with Cirque du Soleil. “Our LA studios signify not merely an expansion of space but a profound evolution in our creative capabilities, establishing a new benchmark for engaging entertainment across multiple platforms,” Anne Belliveau, chief customer experience officer at Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group, said in a statement.
