At a time when many in publishing are, finally, accepting reading is a term that goes beyond ink on paper, this can only be a good thing.

Hachette Livre has entered a strategic partnership with production company Studiocanal to create On Screen, a joint venture dedicated to developing film and television adaptations from the publisher’s extensive catalogue.

The deal, announced 6 May 2026, represents a significant deepening of ties between major European publishing and screen production.

A Major Publisher Seeks New Revenue Streams

Hachette Livre, a subsidiary of Lagardère SA, is the world’s third-largest trade publishing group. It generated revenue of €3.0 billion in 2025, up 4.5% year-on-year, and ranks as market leader in France, number two in the UK, and third in both Spain and the US.

The group comprises more than 200 imprints publishing roughly 15,000 new titles annually across French, English and Spanish. Its portfolio includes the Enid Blyton estate, the Astérix comic series, and authors such as James Patterson, Stephenie Meyer and Michael Connelly.

The partnership comes as Hachette marks its bicentenary in 2026, a milestone the group is using to reaffirm its mission across multiple platforms.

Studiocanal’s Proven Track Record in Literary Adaptation

Studiocanal, part of the Canal+ group, has steadily built its literary adaptation credentials. In 2024 it launched Studiocanal Stories, a dedicated label for developing IP from books, citing the global success of Paddington as a model.

The studio has previously adapted works by John le Carré, Jojo Moyes and Matt Haig, and had two literary adaptations selected for the 2024 Cannes Film Festival.

Market data supports the strategic logic: in 2023, 42% of the top 100 US box office hits were literary adaptations, while in France the figure stood at 44%.

What the CEOs Said

Arnaud Lagardère, CEO of Hachette Livre, described the venture as “a new chapter in our ambition to build bridges from books to screen,” adding that the alliance would “ensure our content resonates across every platform”.

Maxime Saada, CEO of Canal+, said the partnership marked “an important step in our strategy to develop premium content from strong intellectual property,” enabling the companies to work “more closely upstream” and take stories global.

The View From the Beach

CEO opinion is rarely instructive, but here they make valid point:

The deal reflects a broader industry trend of publishers seeking closer control over adaptation rights and downstream revenue. For Hachette, the venture offers a direct pipeline to screen production at a time when its board games and premium stationery division already accounts for 19% of publishing revenue, signalling diversification beyond traditional book sales.

At a time when many in publishing are, finally, accepting reading is a term that goes beyond ink on paper, this can only be a good thing.

This post first appeared in the TNPS LinkedIn newsletter.