Netflix Sees Exec Shuffle in French Scripted Series Division

Clementine Gayet and Jimmy Desmarais, a pair of senior executives in charge of Netflix‘s French scripted originals, are set to step down from the streamer at the end of the year, Variety has learned.

They follow a string of high-profile exits at Netflix in France, including Damien Couvreur, VP of series and documentaries, who left the streamer over the summer. A junior executive, Ingha Mago, who is creative associate of French Original Series at Netflix, will also be stepping down at the same time as Desmarais and Gayet. Netflix declined to comment.

Netflix’s French team has been spearheaded by Pauline Dauvin, the former VP at The Walt Disney Company France, since the start of 2024 in the newly created position of VP of content in France.

Spearheaded by Dauvin, the French team is now comprised of head of unscripted series Dolores Emile, scripted series boss Pierre Saint-André and Gaelle Mareschi, head of film. It’s unclear whether Gayet and Desmarais’ positions will be replaced.

Netflix’s biggest French series hit so far is “Lupin,” a Paris-set heist comedy-drama starring Omar Sy as Assane Diop, a character inspired by Arsène Lupin, the protagonist of Maurice Leblanc’s iconic 1907 novel. Produced by Gaumont, “Lupin” Season 3 launched in October 2023 and quickly took the top spot on the streamer’s Global Top 10. A fourth part is in early development, according to industry sources.

Aside from “Lupin,” Netflix’s other big French success on the original series side was “Family Business,” a comedy starring Jonathan Cohen and Gerard Darmon as a son and father who turn their butcher shop into a marijuana café. The third and final season wrapped in late 2021. “Call My Agent!” doesn’t count as a Netflix original series because it was commissioned by French broadcaster France Televisions.

Sy is also the star of Netflix’s anticipated French romantic comedy, “French Lover,” alongside Sara Giraudeau (“Bernadette”), Pascale Arbillot (“Lost Bullet”) and Alban Ivanov (“C’est la vie”). The movie is currently in post-production and is produced by Zazi Films, Federation Studio France and Korokoro Productions. “French Lover” will launch on Netflix in 2025.