Film
Movie Studio That Made ‘Taken’ Seeks U.S. Bankruptcy
- Debts overwhelm France-based owner of ‘Transporter’ franchise
- Felled by distribution misstep, recent flops, years of losses
Liam Neeson attends the 'Taken 2' premiere in Seoul on Sept. 17, 2012.
Photographer: Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images
EuropaCorp SA, the French movie studio founded by director Luc Besson, filed for bankruptcy protection in the U.S. after releasing a string of recent flops and botching a change in how it distributes films.
Losses stemming from the decision to handle its own U.S. distribution and the poor performance of movies like “The Circle,” “Their Finest” and “Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets” led to the studio’s downfall, according to papers filed May 17 in Manhattan federal court.