Director Jerome Salle and Federation Studios team for film and TV production venture Syzygy

French director Jérôme Salle, known for films including Zulu starring Orlando Bloom, Largo Winch, and Anthony Zimmer starring Sophie Marceau and Yvan Attal, has launched film and TV production company Syzygy, backed by Paris-based production and distribution powerhouse Federation Studios.

Syzgy’s first project is the English-language thriller series Okavango, based on the novel of the same name by Caryl Ferey about wild animal trafficking in South Africa. Ferey also wrote the novel Zulu on which Salle’s 2013 film was based. 

Salle will produce each project as well as taking on a showrunner or director role where appropriate. 

Federation Studios, which has a 51% stake in Syzygy, has just announced its intention to seek cash investments through a sale of up to 40% of the company valued at some €500m-€600m. Founded by Pascal Breton and co-led with Lionel Uzan and Marco Chimenz, Federation recently backed Showtime’s spy thriller The Agency adapted from its hit French-language series The Bureau. Upcoming projects include Tom Bidwell’s The Gullivers and literary adaptation Lucky Luke.

Syzygy, pronounced “see-zee-gee”, is a name inspired by the astrophysics term for the alignment of the sun and moon with the earth.

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