Ted Sarandos Meets Emmanuel Macron at ‘Select France’ Summit

French President Emmanuel Macron made it clear that France would face significant challenges in bringing back the hit Netflix series Emily in Paris after its recent storyline involving a trip to Rome. This statement underscores the ongoing discussions around the show’s production and its future in France.

Netflix’s chief executive, Ted Sarandos, was among a select group of influential U.S. industry leaders invited by Macron to participate in the eighth edition of Select France, a summit designed to enhance the country’s appeal for attracting foreign investments. This significant event took place on May 19 at the historic Versailles, marking a notable shift as the summit incorporated a focus on the cinema and audiovisual sectors for the first time.

The cultural agenda for the summit was initiated long before the tensions between French and U.S. guilds escalated, particularly following U.S. President Trump‘s proposal for a 100% tariff on foreign films. Despite the uncertainty surrounding Trump’s plans, the timing of this transatlantic meeting proved fortuitous, as discussions on expanding France’s share of the film production landscape took center stage.

Seated at the table with Macron were key figures such as Sarandos, Mediawan CEO Pierre-Antoine Capton, A24 co-founder Daniel Katz, Apple‘s head of global video Jamie Erlicht, Russell Grandinetti, SVP for Amazon’s international stores, along with France’s culture minister Rachida Dati, CNC president Gaetan Bruel, and Valérie Pécresse, president of the Île-de-France Regional Council. Notable French producers, including Alexia Laroche-Joubert, CEO of Banijay France, Pascal Breton from Federation Studios, and executive producers Raphael Benoliel and John Bernard were also present.

A critical topic raised by Sarandos during the discussions was the urgent need for France to enhance its tax incentives for international film productions. Currently, France offers a 30% tax rebate on below-the-line expenses incurred within the country, and this can rise to 40% if visual effects are produced locally. However, Sarandos and other prominent executives, including Benoliel and Bernard, are advocating for the expansion of these incentives to include above-the-line costs, such as actors’ salaries. Although this issue had been raised previously without success, Macron indicated that it could be reconsidered this time around.

“This was the first occasion since the establishment of the international tax rebate in 2009 that we could discuss above-the-line expenses and felt that our arguments were genuinely acknowledged,” stated Benoliel. “There has been a slowdown in production globally, and if we intend to remain competitive with countries like Italy and the U.K., we must implement these changes. This will benefit our entire economy and ecosystem, including crew members and our talent pool, ensuring that all the infrastructure we are developing in France will be utilized effectively,” he added.

Throughout the dialogue, Macron emphasized the initiatives France has undertaken to position itself as a premier destination for international productions. This includes a substantial investment of €1 billion, of which €300 million comes from public funding, aimed at enhancing filming infrastructures, training high-caliber technicians, and workforce development in animation and VFX, as part of the government’s broader France 2030 roadmap. The French delegation also highlighted iconic locations such as the Chateau de Versailles and the Louvre Museum, which have recently hosted filming, further showcasing France’s cinematic appeal. Remarkably, Coralie Fargeat’s Oscar-winning film “The Sustance,” produced by Working Title and Universal, was entirely filmed in Southern France, despite its narrative being set in Los Angeles.

“The core of the discussions on Monday revolved around France 2030,” explained Bruel. “Under this initiative, we have doubled our filming capacity with the creation of new studios, backlots that replicate Paris, and new educational institutions, among other developments.”

Just days prior to the summit in Versailles, the CNC and the French military’s Mission Cinema organized a unique event on May 17 in Cannes, inviting several U.S. executives onboard a French Navy frigate. This event aimed to showcase the seamless integration of France’s film support services and demonstrate how the French system operates fluidly, allowing for the resolution of any issues and the provision of creative solutions with the full backing of our highest authorities,” Bruel emphasized.

Alexia Laroche-Joubert noted that while the U.K. offers a more substantial tax rebate than France and benefits from being an English-speaking country, U.S. executives present at the Select France roundtable pointed out that the filming facilities and workforce in the U.K. are already saturated. “Let’s be clear, the U.K. lacks the Eiffel Tower, Versailles, or the Champs-Élysées, and Italy does as well!” asserted Laroche-Joubert, whose company, Banijay France, recently collaborated with Apple on “Carême,” a 19th-century French historical drama filmed partly at Versailles and Palais Royal.

“Jamie Erlicht told me something remarkable,” Laroche-Joubert revealed. “He mentioned that if I wanted to shoot this sequence of ‘Carême’ in the U.S., it would have cost me four to six times more due to the production value you have implemented here in France.”

The French initiative to attract international productions has raised concerns among some members of U.S. film guilds, such as the DGA and the MPA, who have expressed their worries to the U.S. Trade Representative about the issue of runaway productions. However, the participation of significant American figures like Sarandos, Katz, Erlicht, and Grandinetti at Select France signified that the relationship between the French and U.S. film and television industries remains harmonious and collaborative.

Indeed, Sarandos was so enthusiastic about his experience at Select France that he shared a selfie with Macron on Instagram, expressing that he had “an incredible few days in Paris.” He emphasized that “France has always been at the heart of cinema and storytelling, and Netflix is proud to continue partnering with French talent to share these unique voices with the world.”

Sarandos’ post received likes and comments from none other than Lily Collins, who portrays Emily Cooper in Emily in Paris, alongside a stream of high-five emojis. Collins is expected to return to Paris soon to film the remainder of Emily in Paris season 5 in the French capital. Benoliel, who is a producer on the series, humorously mentioned to Macron that he might need to pick up Collins in Rome to ensure her return to Paris for filming.

During the Select France summit, Sarandos also announced that Netflix would increase its investment in the southern French city of Marseille, particularly through the film school Kourtrajmé Marseille and the establishment of a Cinematheque in the city, further solidifying Netflix’s commitment to the French film industry.

The eighth edition of Select France attracted more than 400 participants from 46 different nationalities, resulting in a record-breaking 53 announcements that collectively represent an astounding €40.8 billion in investments, with half of this amount earmarked for AI initiatives, highlighting the significant economic impact and future potential of the French film and audiovisual sectors.