U.S. drives French exports

PARIS -- Jaume Collet-Serra's "Unknown" proved the top French film export last year -- at least judged by theatrical gross -- as the U.S. once more drove Gallic B.O. takings outside France in 2011. Rolling off a $63.6 million U.S. trawl -- a sign, like 2008's "Taken," of "Unknown" star Liam Neeson's Stateside cachet -- the Studiocanal co-produced identity thriller grossed a total 77.9 million ($99.7 million) off 29 territories, according to stats announced Thursday by French export org Unifrance. "The Three Musketeers" ranked No. 2 in international B.O. earnings with $74.1 million, EuropaCorp's Zoe Saldana actioner "Colombiana" third ($68.7 million) and Pathe's "Nothing to Declare" ($19 million) fourth. The U.S. accounted in all for 36% of French B.O. overseas. Total international B.O. for French movies powered up in 2011 by 19% to $518 million, up on both 2009 ($448 million) and 2010 ($433 million), but some way short of 2008's $540 million, a best-ever result since Unifrance began tallying results in 1990. With the La Petite Reine-produced "The Artist," SBS's "Carnage" and Gaumont's "Intouchables," now catching fire in foreign locations, and proving there's an audience beyond France for a range of films from accessible arthouse to edgy auteur mainstream to crowd-pleasing dramedy, France's film industry can claim with some confidence that it is riding out the recession pretty well. 2011 stats have to be qualified, however. As Unifrance report itself points out, international B.O. on French-language pics plunged 28.5% in 2011. France's biggest two earners were minority co-productions. Theatrical is one thing, sales agents' income another. According to French CNC film agency stats published last month, Gallic sales agents' revenues on French film exports rose a muscular 26.1% in 2010 to $225.2 million. But 2011 revenue figures won't be in for many months. If the U.S. was the biggest single market for French pics last year, moreover, it was also the costliest in prints and advertising needed to launch a French film wide there. EuropaCorp paid $30.7 million last year for U.S. P&A on "Colombiana," it recognized in its most recent financial report. Little wonder many French sales agents are looking to recoup out of the rest of the world before addressing problematic distribution in the U.S. Contact the Variety newsroom at news@variety.com