Paramount Builds a 90% Scale Bronson Gate at Mipcom in Cannes

Paramount has erected a 90%-scale replica of its iconic Bronson Gate outside Le Palais des Festivals in Cannes, anchoring the studio's 6,000-square-foot exhibition tent at Mipcom, which runs Oct. 12-15. The arch sits between the conference center and the French Riviera. You might call it a business expense with selfie value.

"[We've had] a lot of comments, a lot of what looks like selfies — people taking photos in front of the gate," said Lisa Lasarenko, Paramount's SVP for marketing and creative services, who oversaw the build. "Because it's a little bit of Hollywood in Cannes."

How do you rebuild a Hollywood landmark in three weeks?

Design agency Glow Studios spent around three weeks building and shipping the gate from the U.K. Glow founder James Schnauer flew to Los Angeles to photograph the original arch so he could "reverse engineer the detail" and produce a 3D-printed model. The finished replica includes the intricate filigrees found on the original, held together by cleverly concealed aluminium and wood scaffolding.

On either side, a trompe l'oeil (an illusionistic painting technique) print of the Paramount soundstages displays posters of the titles the company is selling at this year's market: "The Angry Birds Movie 3," the Johnny Depp-led "Ebenezer" and "NCIS: New York."

"We wanted to do something different," Lasarenko said. "It feels like you're having an experience and bring our clients something that they can't get anywhere else."

Who else is competing for attention?

RX France, the organizer, is hosting several stands with strong opinions about themselves:

• Banijay Entertainment — the newly expanded group occupies a prime spot directly in front of the Palais on the Croisette with its two-storey wooden "Banijay House," first debuted in 2022. Designed by architect Nicola Spinetto and built by Romain Larue of Orati, the chalet-like structure contains meeting rooms, a reception area and terraces. It flat-packs into storage outside Cannes between markets. "We don't use it for any other market," said Andrew Dickens, Banijay's communications and marketing EVP.
• Fremantle — its Riviera-facing booth is themed around "Baywatch," complete with red life preservers, surfboards and a lifeguard's hut. The branded red tote bags proved so popular they're now limited to clients only.
• Toy row — Mattel, Hasbro and Pokemon occupy three adjacent stands. Mattel went minimal: a red tent, a large logo, matching cushions. Pokemon went maximal, with a booth covered in its creatures and a hedge pruned into a Pokeball.
• Country pavilions — Singapore covered its stand in dozens of orchids; China stationed a full-size AI-powered humanoid robot, the Agibot A3, billed as "Your 24/7 productivity partner," chatting with attendees in French, English and Cantonese.

Inside the Palais, the mood is cooler. Sony and Disney sit tucked away on the third floor in bare-bones, appointment-only booths.

What do the stands say about the industry?

Quite a lot. The first post-Covid Mipcom in 2021 was, as Variety's market wrap put it, "an understated affair" — roughly 4,500 attendees, against about 12,000 pre-pandemic, and modest booths. The streaming wars then pushed studios to hoard content for their own global platforms, which shrank the need to court international buyers with show-stopping floor space.

Licensing has come back. Consolidation is the new force reshaping the floor. Under the Banijay–All3Media merger, which closed in July, the joint entity inherited All3Media's stand, renamed Banijay Terrace and used for overspill. Dickens said this arrangement is "for one year only," leaving an empty space Mipcom must fill in 2027.

The next question is spatial and corporate at once: whether Warner Bros. Discovery, in its usual beachfront spot in Ciro's, will share tent-space next year with its new sister brand Paramount following the Skydance acquisition — or whether the two brands will exhibit independently.

As for the replica arch, Lasarenko has no plans to scrap it. "We're gonna keep it," she said. "And find ways to use it." Expect the Bronson Gate to reappear, wherever Paramount next needs a little Hollywood.