Ex-Canal+ drama chief Fabrice de la Patellière unveils new prodco

Fabrice de la Patellière

Fabrice de la Patellière, who stepped down as head of fiction at France’s Canal+ earlier this year after two decades in the job, has launched his own production company.

2e Bureau is being backed by Canal+ subsidiary StudioCanal and will produce “premium series” and miniseries for channels and platforms in France and internationally.

Its focus will be on “high-concept series that blend escapism and realism, providing an original take on major themes that affect our world today,” the company said.

Patellière oversaw drama at Canal+ for two decades, stepping down in January when Olivier Bibas was named head of original content.

During his stint, Patellière launched the ‘Création Originale Canal+’ label and worked on shows ranging from Le Bureau des Légendes (The Bureau) and Engrenages (Spiral), to Braquo, Les Revenants (The Returned) and Validé (All the Way Up). He also developed international co-productions such as Borgia, Versailles and ZeroZeroZero.

Patellière described the launch of 2e Bureau as “an opportunity for me to work a little closer with the writers and directors, to continue exploring with them the extraordinary form of narrative you get with series.”

Anna Marsh, managing CEO of StudioCanal, added: “His in-depth knowledge of the public and accompanying abilities in writing and producing series will be invaluable in creating new content.”