At the press conference organised on June 15th during the Annecy International Animation Film Festival, the Franco-Belgian group Média-Participations unveiled its cross-media strategy and the diversity of its projects, both original creations and adaptations, in the field of animation.

With more than 4,000 IPs and a presence in all media (from publishing, audiovisual, video games, theme parks, platforms, to consumer products), Média-Participations is Europe’s leading independent family entertainment group (Dupuis, Dargaud, Kana, Abrams, Microids, ADN…).

For over 60 years, its production companies in France and Belgium have created successful animated series and films, from Garfield & Co. to the new 3D series The Smurfs, including the feature film Yakari and the upcoming Marsupilamis, most of which are sold worldwide.

“Although we come from the publishing industry, our job is more broadly to tell and share stories. Our originality is that we know how to do this in almost all media: books, video games, amusement parks, press, digital, and audiovisual of course. Animation, which enables our heroes to reach a wide audience in France and abroad, is more than ever at the heart of our strategy and one of our core businesses”, said Julien Papelier, Deputy CEO of the Média-Participations group, in his introduction. “We want to create more and more synergies thanks to our cross-media ecosystem and the know-how of the new team around Caroline Audebert, Managing director of Ellipse Animation, and Lila Hannou, VP Creative Development and Strategy, who will lead this change alongside Belvision in Belgium”, he added.

Ellipse Animation: a new umbrella brand for production activities in France

Média-Participations has decided to group all its French production labels together (Dargaud Media, Dupuis Edition & Audiovisuel and Ellipsanime Productions) under one umbrella brand: Ellipse Animation, a brand synonymous with 170 productions and heroes (Asterix, Tintin, The Smurfs, Lucky Luke, Babar, The Garfield Show, Yakari…).

“This new brand will enable us to make our offer more visible, especially internationally, to reconnect with our heritage and to pursue an offensive strategy for the future. Our ambition is to produce 4 to 6 series and one feature film per year by 2024”, said Caroline Audebert.
“We have already developed some projects with other production companies. We speed up our pace and open the doors to new collaborations with French and international producers”, added Caroline Audebert.

“Diversity is very important to us”, said Lila Hannou. “Not only in the content we create, but more globally, in the vision we have of our business. Starting with the production team (Gaëlle Guiny, Pierre Reyssat, Audrey Serre) who work with us. Coming from different backgrounds, they bring their know-how, their expertise, their passion, their sensitivity and their different points of view, allowing us to constantly enrich our project list”.

“We are consolidating our production facilities, with our 3 studios Ellipse Paris, Ellipse Angoulême, MadLab Roubaix studios and the collaboration of DreamWall in Belgium, we are able to have 500 posts to take on the most ambitious projects”, added Caroline Audebert.

This new name will have a new visual identity, a new website www.ellipseanimation.com and new social media.

Strategic partners: Belvision, Mediatoon Distribution and Citel

While Ellipse Animation has a solid in-house production ecosystem for both 3D and 2D, it can count on the support of its two historical and strategic partners: Belvision in Belgium for production and Mediatoon Distribution in France for international distribution.

“Belvision has been an iconic player in Belgium since the 1950s. We are very proud to have several projects in co-production with Ellipse Animation, including Living with Dad, The Marsupilamis The Fox-Badger Family…”, said Raphaële Ingberg, General Manager of Belvision.

“We explore many genres, but always with a unique Belgian touch”, added Raphaële Ingberg.

As for Mediatoon Distribution and Citel, whose objective is to help finance, distribute and monetise projects worldwide, they have the largest animation catalogue in Europe, with more than 4,000 hours of work, as well as the largest offering of Japanese Anime (with titles such as Naruto, Hunter X Hunter and Fairy Tail). “For more than 20 years, we have taken great pleasure in supporting the productions of our in-house studios (Ellipse Animation and Belvision), as well as those of external partner studios (Bayard Animation, Folivari, Futurikon, Kodansha, Media Valley, Studio Pierrot, Toon Factory, and so on). This complementarity allows us to address all genres and targets. Our VOD, DVD, games, music, licensing and publishing activities go on to complete the package to further maximise our partners’ revenues (and also enrich the experience of our fans and consumers)”, said Mediatoon Managing Director Jérôme Alby.

A line-up for all audiences and all tones

From preschool blockbusters to adult animation, Ellipse Animation addresses all audiences and embraces all genres: comedy, slapstick, adventure, action, … Caroline Audebert and Lila Hannou’s team has successfully developed all formats: series (The Marsupilamis, Belfort & Lupin, Living with Dad…), feature films (Yakari…), TV specials and even theme park attractions (The Marsupilamis for the Parc Spirou), using different techniques for different styles: 2D, 3D or hybrid.

Exclusive images of Dreamland

After the massive success of Roger and his humans created with the YouTuber Cyprien and his over 1 million followers on YouTube, TikTok and Snapchat, Ellipse Animation has unveiled it new teen-adult project developed with La Chouette Compagnie and ADN, Média-Participations’ dedicated animation platform.

“At ADN, we are proud to partner with Ellipse Animation and La Chouette Cie to produce Dreamland. As a French streaming platform dedicated to animation, we are very excited to start producing quality original content. We can’t wait for audiences to discover Dreamland and for other ambitious projects like this one to see the light of day in Europe” commented Benoît de Tauriac, President of ADN.

Adapted from the best-selling manga of the same name by Reno Lemaire and published by Pika, Dreamland takes the viewer into the world of Terrence, a teenager who has been terrified of fire ever since his mother died in a fire when he was only 7 years old. “One night, while dreaming, he overcomes his fear by being able to control fire. He then becomes a traveller, a special kind of dreamer who every night, while he sleeps, is transported to Dreamland, the world of dreams”, said Sylvain dos Santos, producer of the series for La Chouette Compagnie.

Moreover, the teaser presented at the press conference will be broadcast on ADN’s Youtube channel on 20 June.

Writers: Antoine Maurel and Jean-Luc Cano
Format: 10×22 – 3 seasons
Technique: traditional 2D

Production in progress and new projects

Adaptations of IPs from the Média-Participations catalogue, of course, and also adaptations of books from other publishers and original creations, Ellipse Animation is banking on diversity for its new projects.

– Upper preschool hits

The Smurfs 2: produced in collaboration with Peyo Productions, this full-CGI series was a huge success in 140 territories, internationally on Nickelodeon channels, in Germany on Kika and in France on TF1.

Production: Peyo Productions (Belgium) and Dupuis Edition et Audiovisuel (France) – In coproduction with: Kika (Allemagne), Ketnet and RTBF (Belgium) and Dargaud Media (France)
Producers: Véronique Culliford, Nele De Wilde and Brigitte Ickmans for Peyo Productions; Caroline Duvochel and Maïa Tubiana for Dupuis Edition et Audiovisuel Director: William Renaud
Format: 52 x 11’ – Audience: 6-10 years – Technique: 3D

The Marsupilamis: in development for M6-Gulli.
Once again, Ellipse Animation reinterprets the world of cult comic book characters in 3D for 5-7-year-olds. The development of this series with strong international potential is accompanied by a genuine brand strategy within Média-Participations: video games, comic books, children’s books, numerous licensing possibilities.
Synopsis: The twins Jade and Mica have taken in 3 adorable young Marsupilamis… who can’t hold still! It won’t be easy for our duo to keep the secret and protect these legendary creatures.

Production: Dupuis Edition et Audiovisuel – Belvision
Format: 52 x 13’
Audience: + 5 years
Technique: 3D

– Highly varied youth programmes

Trotro and Zaza: a totally new preschool project
Trotro is one of the strongest preschool IPs of the last 20 years (Export Award in 2017). The Trotro series is currently being broadcast worldwide, including on major platforms such as Amazon Prime Video, YouTube and Netflix. The Trotro & Zaza series in which the famous little donkey will face a challenge: becoming a big brother. Trotro and Zaza will be presented at the next Cartoon Forum.

Director: Alexandre Coste
Graphic author: Benedicte Guettier
Format: 78×3’30 ’ / rendu 2D
Audience: 2-4 ans

The Fox-Badger Family 2: Season 1 won the Unifrance Audiovisual Export Award in 2020. Ellipse Animation and Belvision are currently producing season 2 of the adventures of this happy blended family.

Director: Florian Ferrier
Based on the comic books by Brigitte Luciani and Eve Tharlet published by Dargaud
Format: 52 x 12’ / 2D render
Audience: +4

Akissi: the TV special adaptation of the adventures of the intrepid little girl created by Marguerite Abouet and Matthieu Sapin will be broadcast this very afternoon, June 15, on France 4 and tomorrow, on Boomerang Africa.

Writer: Marguerite Abouet, Louise Cailliez and Baptiste Grosfilley
Based on the original comic book published by Gallimard Jeunesse “Akissi” by Marguerite Abouet and Mathieu Sapin, inspired by the graphic universe of Clément Oubrerie
Production: Arthur Colignon for Ellipsanime Productions – Executive producers: Caroline Audebert, Caroline Duvochel
Line producer: Agelin Paul
Director: Alexandre Coste Format: 26’ – animation 2D
Audience: 6-10

Living with Dad: adaptation of Nob’s comic book, whose presentation was very well received at the Cartoon Forum in Toulouse last September. Currently in production at Ellipse Animation and Belvision, the series will be broadcast on M6 before the end of 2022.

Director: Daniel Klein
Writer: Cyril Deydier, based on the comic book “Dad” by NOB
Graphic author: NOB
Format: 52 x 11’
Audience: 6-11
Technique: digital 2D animation

– Other original productions

Versailles Unleashed: created by writer Teddy Stehly, this original series is currently in development for France Télévisions in France. Designed in partnership with the Château de Versailles, it offers 6-11-year-olds the chance to follow the story of a unique friendship between a dog and a wolf who are at odds with each other at the court of Louis XIV. Belfort, the King’s favourite spaniel, and his friend Lupin, from the Gardens. It is also an opportunity to get to know the feathered and furry tenants of the castle’s great menagerie and its kitchens.

Director: Philippe Vidal
Format: 26 x 22′
Audience: 6-11

– Features for a family audience

Ellipse Animation is highly committed to feature films with the idea of producing one film a year. Building on the success of Yakari, A Spectacular Journey which, despite being released during the pandemic, had more than 350,000 admissions in theatres, it is currently developing Yakari 2 (final title to be announced) which is scheduled for release in 2025.
In this sequel, which focuses on the power of friendship and the magic of totems, Yakari’s friend, Bison Seed, falls into a coma. While the tribe does everything it can to keep him alive, Yakari and Little Thunder go in search of the only being capable of saving him: the fantastic but dangerous bison Thathanka.
Ellipse Animation is also co-developing, with Pan-Européenne, Maybe Movies and Belvision, two feature films adapted from the comic books Lucky-Luke and The Legendaries.