Pathé has acquired a 50% stake in The Searchers, a leading film distributor in the Benelux region, as part of a strategic partnership that expands the French company's footprint beyond cinema exhibition and into film distribution across the Netherlands and Belgium. Until now, Pathé's presence in the region was limited to running around 40 cinemas with close to 300 screens through its Pathé Belgium and Pathé Netherlands subsidiaries; the deal mirrors its existing distribution operations in France and Switzerland and gives Pathé Films a stronger route to Benelux audiences.

Antwerp and Amsterdam-based The Searchers, which marked its tenth anniversary last year, is known for acquiring elevated English-language titles and has worked with partners including Rocket Science, Black Bear and Neon on films such as Conclave, Ballerina and The Salt Path. Under the partnership it will continue that slate while also distributing Pathé titles, starting with the studio's Charles de Gaulle film duology; both Pathé Belgium and Pathé Netherlands say they remain committed to working with other distributors too. The move follows Pathé's 2025 deal in which Rodolphe Saadé's family holding company Merit France took a 20% stake in the studio.