Mediawan co-founder behind $84M plan to transform historic WWII airbase into France’s next production hub

Move over Cinecittà and Pinewood — France’s Champagne region is officially popping into the studio race.

Xavier Niel, billionaire telecom magnate and co-founder of pan-European media powerhouse Mediawan, has finalized the acquisition of a defunct military airbase near Reims, the unofficial capital of the Champagne region, with plans to construct what is poised to become one of France’s largest film and television production facilities.

The future Studios de Reims, backed by an estimated $84 million (€72M) in total investment — including $14 million (€12M) in French state funding — will rise on the site of the 112 Reims-Champagne airbase, located just over 80 miles northeast of Paris. The location has deep historic ties, having served as a key U.S. Army Air Forces hub during the liberation of France in 1944, followed by decades of French military use until its closure in 2011.

Champagne With a Hollywood Finish

The deal was quietly sealed on July 22, according to regional outlet L’Union, which first reported the news. The studio project, long-rumored since 2018, will roll out in three phases and eventually span:

• 188,000+ sq. ft. of sound stages

• Over 300,000 sq. ft. of backlot

• More than 240,000 sq. ft. of dressing rooms, workshops, and support facilities

Phase one is expected to go live in 2026, with full completion targeted by 2031. Once operational, the site is projected to generate 250 to 300 new jobs, injecting fresh economic and creative energy into the storied wine region.

A spokesperson for Niel described the forthcoming complex as “simpler, more logistically fluid, and competitively priced,” offering an attractive alternative to increasingly congested production hubs in the Paris metropolitan area.

Mediawan’s Expanding Footprint

Niel, one of France’s richest individuals, made his fortune in telecom before turning his focus to media. In 2015, he co-founded Mediawan alongside Matthieu Pigasse and Pierre-Antoine Capton, with a mission to reshape European content at scale.

Today, Mediawan controls a sprawling network of more than 80 production entities, including high-profile international banners Plan B (Brad Pitt) and See-Saw Films, as well as French powerhouses Chapter 2 and Chi-Fou-Mi. The company has been increasingly active in film, TV, and premium digital production across borders.

With this latest venture, Niel adds infrastructure to his content empire — and Champagne, already synonymous with celebration, may soon be known for cinematic scale.