Studiocanal has acquired a minority stake in Sarah Brocklehurst’s UK production house Brock Media as part of a partnership deal announced by the pan-European production and distribution arm of Canal+ on Wednesday.
BAFTA-nominated producer Brocklehurst originally launched Brock Media in 2022 with a partnership deal with BBC Studios, covering overheads and support for development. This deal expired at the beginning of 2025.
In between times, the company made waves with Nora Fingscheidt’s The Outrun, the award-winning feature film adaptation of Amy Liptrot’s best-selling memoir, directed by Nora Fingscheidt and starring Saoirse Ronan and Paapa Essiedu, which was distributed in multiple territories by Studiocanal.
The film premiered at the Sundance, Berlin, Edinburgh and Telluride film festivals picking up awards with the Critics Circle and IFTAs, and was nominated for nine BIFAs and two BAFTAs, including Outstanding British Film.
Studiocanal would not comment on the terms of the deal but Deadline has confirmed that the group has taken a stake in the company.
The studio said the partnership would enable Brock Media to continue to develop a robust slate of film and TV series.
It noted that the company had developed a slate of 18 TV series which aligned with Studiocanal’s vision to embrace diversity and desire to throw its weight behind promising new talent by featuring stories from around the UK and the world across all genres.
Brock Media Head of TV Development Sophie Mitchell will work closely with M-K Kennedy Managing Director of Television for Studiocanal and her team, under the deal.
“We greatly admire Sarah’s passion for producing bold and often female driven stories such as The Outrun which feel important and inspiring in addition to taking an innovative approach to creating IP,” said Studiocanal CEO Anna Marsh, who is also CEO Chief Content Officer of Canal+ and Deputy CEO of Canal+.
“We now look forward to fully supporting Sarah in growing the Brock Media slate furthering her ambition to produce world class films and TV series for UK and international audiences.”
Brocklehurst added: “Having worked together on The Outrun, I know that Studiocanal are the perfect partner for Brock Media as we embark on the next chapter. We share cultural alignment, passion for cinema and commitment to producing great stories for international audiences. I’m looking forward to working with Anna Marsh, M-K Kennedy and their brilliant teams to generate many more successes across film and series in the years to come.”
Helion advised Brock Media on the transaction.
Max Goldbart contributed to this story
