Pathé takes 50% stake in The Searchers to expand Benelux distribution
Pathé bought half of Benelux distributor The Searchers, moving from cinema exhibition into local film distribution.
By Poppy Nakagawa · Culture Writer
3 min read
Pathé has bought a 50% holding in The Searchers, giving the French film group a new distribution foothold in the Benelux market after years of operating there mainly through cinemas, Deadline reported.
The Pathé The Searchers stake puts the company directly into film distribution in Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg, where its existing local businesses, Pathé Belgium and Pathé Netherlands, run about 40 cinemas with nearly 300 screens, according to the report.
Pathé said the deal is a strategic partnership that will let it build a distribution operation in Benelux similar to the ones it already has in France and Switzerland.
Pathé Chairman Jérôme Seydoux said the investment will help the company strengthen what it offers in the Netherlands and Belgium. “Just like Pathé successfully distributes films in France and Switzerland, expanding to distribution in the Benelux is a natural step,” Seydoux said.
Seydoux also said the partnership should help Pathé Films productions reach wider audiences in the territory and support the company’s goal of offering strong films and customer experiences.
What does the Pathé The Searchers stake mean?
The deal means Pathé is adding Benelux distribution to a local business that had been centered on exhibition. Pathé said its Netherlands and Belgium cinema operations will be able to program Pathé Films titles more effectively, while continuing to work with other distributors in the region.
The Searchers will also keep handling the kind of films that have made it a familiar name among international sellers, while adding Pathé titles to its slate.
The first Pathé titles cited in the report are the Charles de Gaulle films De Gaulle: Tilting Iron and De Gaulle: The Sovereign Edge, which The Searchers has recently released.
What is The Searchers?
The Searchers is an Antwerp and Amsterdam-based distributor that marked its 10th anniversary last year, according to Deadline. The company is known for acquiring elevated English-language films and for ties with companies including Rocket Science, Black Bear, The Veterans and Neon.
Its recent English-language releases have included Roofman, Conclave, Ballerina, Hot Milk, Splitsville and The Salt Path.
Olivier van den Broeck, co-founder and managing director of The Searchers, called Pathé “a legendary film company” and said the partnership fits the distributor’s next phase.
“By adding Pathé Films to our strong and carefully curated release slate, we considerably increase our impact and expand our offering,” van den Broeck said. “Together, we strengthen our unique position as a leading independent distributor of both popular commercial films and distinctive auteur cinema.”
The Benelux move comes during a busy stretch for Pathé. In 2025, Rodolphe Saadé’s family holding company Merit France took a 20% stake in the studio, Deadline reported.
Pathé has also been building its English-language production activity while continuing to make French-language films. Recent steps include reopening its film arm in the UK and launching Emotion Pictures in May, a joint venture with Vendôme Pictures focused on English-language features with broad appeal.
This story draws on original reporting from Deadline.