World Courant
EXCLUSIVE: Paris-based Superprod Group has acquired high Luxembourgish animation firms Studio 352 and Mélusine Productions in a transfer that consolidates its place as one among Europe’s main animation manufacturing teams.
Primarily based in Contern in Southern Luxembourg, the sister firms have been based by Belgian producer Stéphan Roelants within the late Nineties.
Mélusine Productions develops, funds and manages the initiatives, whereas Studio 352, which has constructed up a neighborhood workforce of top-level artists and technicians, executes the work.
The sister firms have been concerned in a few of the most vital animated characteristic movies produced out of Europe previously 27 years.
On the identical time, they’ve additionally cemented Luxembourg’s place as an animation manufacturing hub, with sturdy help from the Luxembourg Movie Fund.
Newest credit embody Neil Boyle and Kirk Hendry’s Michael Morpurgo-adaptation Kensuké’s Kingdom, which received Finest Function Movie on the 2024 British Animation Awards in February.
Different previous credit embody Ari Folman’s The Congress (2013), Tomm Moore’s Oscar-nominated Tune of the Sea (2014), and later movie Wolfmakers (2020), co-directed with Ross Stewart, in addition to Patrick Imbert’s César-winning The Summit of the Gods (2021) and Julien Chheng and Jean-Christophe Roger’s Ernest and Celestine: A Journey To Gibberita.
The businesses have a number of new productions within the works in partnership with high European studios Paris-based Folivari, Eire’s Cartoon Saloon and Superprod Animation.
The acquisition deal has grown out of a long-running working relationship between Roelants and Superprod Group’s co-founding heads Clément Calvet and Jérémie Fajner. The latter’s burgeoning Paris-based firm works throughout all codecs however has a particular concentrate on animation with current credit together with TV collection Batwheels, Spirit Rangers and Paddington.
The Superprod Group has dedicated to supporting the event in Luxembourg of each the studio and manufacturing firm.
Beneath the deal, Roelants will proceed his function as producer on present initiatives inside Mélusine Productions, and can handover common administration to Fabien Renelli, who has labored alongside him for nearly 20 years.
“Having created, developed and ensured the existence of Studio 352 and Mélusine Productions for 27 years, I am delighted to have the ability to hand over the reins to the youthful era,” mentioned Roelants.
“Is not it the want of each firm founder and supervisor to see the event of his or her firm continued, thus making certain a promising future? Becoming a member of the Superprod Group will give each firms the chance to flourish inside a gaggle able to assembly new market challenges whereas preserving its Luxembourg identification.”
“A relationship of belief with Clément and Jérémie, constructed up over a few years, provides us the prospect of a stable and nice collaboration that may, I am positive, give each entities new letters of the Aristocracy.”
Calvet and Fajner expressed pleasure at the truth that Roelants had entrusted them with the studio he has grown right into a key animation accomplice in Europe over the course of 27 years.
“We have identified Stéphan and the gifted groups at Studio 352 for a few years, notably by way of our co-production of the movie Tune Of the Sea, which took us collectively to the Oscars, Césars and European Movie Awards,” they mentioned.
“We might additionally prefer to pay tribute to Stéphan’s expertise and willpower, and the repute of the businesses he has developed and positioned on the pinnacle of the business.”
The Superprod Group was suggested by Hottinguer Company Finance (M&A), Eight Advisory (Due Diligences) and Alérion Avocats (Authorized).
Beneath the acquisition, Studio 352 and Mélusine Productions may have entry to additional technical help together with Superprod Group’s state-of-the-art USD pipeline – developed in-house and based mostly on Pixar’s open-source Common Scene Description (USD) expertise.
It is going to additionally give them entry to Superprod Group’s manufacturing entities in France and Italy (Purple Monk Studio) and the US (The Coproduction Firm) in addition to its diversified actions in worldwide gross sales (Superights), music challenge administration and music rights (440Hz) and partnerships with main worldwide studios in Europe and the US.
The Superprod Group has dedicated to reinforcing and creating the Studio 352 and Mélusine Manufacturing groups, who may even profit from alternatives for collaboration and profession development throughout the Superprod Group.
Alongside its new Luxembourg acquisition, Superprod Group additionally runs studios in Paris, Angoulême and Milan and has workplaces in Los Angeles and New York.
The corporate works throughout all codecs each as a service supplier and authentic content material producer with common companions together with Ardour Paris, Netflix, (HBO) Max, Warner Bros Animation, Common Footage, Nickelodeon and broadcasters Canal Plus, France Télévisions, TF1, M6 SND, BBC, RAI and ARD.
Current manufacturing highlights embody animation TV collection Batwheels, Spirit Rangers and Paddington, live-action motion pictures Mr Blake At Your Service, and live-action TV collection Panda and House Candy Rome.
