Omar Sys Carrousel Studios Taps Former Wild Bunch, Anton Executive Cecile Gaget as CEO

Posted by Jenniffer Sheldon on Friday, August 2, 2024

Carrousel Studios, the newly launched production company of “Lupin” star Omar Sy, “Fast X” director Louis Leterrier and “Gangs of London” producer Thomas Benski, has appointed Cécile Gaget as CEO.

A seasoned executive, the Paris-based Gaget previously worked at Wild Bunch as head of film, and also worked at Anton Capital and Gaumont where she spearheaded international sales and co-productions. While at Gaumont, she worked on many box office hits, notably “Intouchables” which traveled around the world and saw Sy delivering a breakthrough performance.

Carrousel is a European independent production company with offices in Paris, London, Los Angeles and Senegal. The banner will finance and produce film and TV projects, with an emphasis on elevated action, thrillers, sci-fi, fantasy and comedy. CAA Media Finance architected the financing for the venture.  

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In her new role, which will effective May 1, Gaget will utilize her sales and film finance expertise to ramp up a local and global production slate, forge strategic partnerships and more specifically oversee development, production, financing and distribution strategies.  

“I am very grateful to Omar, Louis, and Thomas for their trust in my abilities to help build and lead this studio to its fullest potential,” said Gaget. “I’m thrilled to embark on this journey with Carrousel Studios, united by a shared vision and a collective drive to create and produce high end and bold content for a global audience.” 

In a joint statement, Sy, Leterrier and Benski praised Gaget for “her extraordinary experience and deep international relationships.” “Our goal is to create a home for talent—both emerging and established—looking to make passion projects in the most efficient and rewarding manner, both creatively and financially, and we believe Cecile will help us achieve it,” stated the trio.

While working at Anton as president of international production and distribution, Gaget helped the mini studio to ramp up the slate production and international ales team to support guiding the further international growth of the company.  During this time she leveraged her relationships within the European creative and distribution community to establish and develop new film projects. She notably worked “Greenland Migration,” the Gerard Butler franchise, and “Mothers Instinct” starring Jessica Chastain and Anne Hathaway.

Over at Gaumont, meanwhile, Gaget oversaw oversaw international acquisitions, English and local-language productions and foreign remakes. She also set up the company’s US Film division and acquired the U.S. remake rights to the iconic Korean zombie hit “Train to Busan.”

During her tenure at Wild Bunch, she contributed to pivoting the activities to local production as well as switching the French theatrical slate to bold and mainstream titles including Oscar-winning animated film “The Boy and the Heron.” 

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