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Draft:Superprod Group

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Superprod Group
Founded2010; 15 years ago (2010)
Founders
  • Clément Calvet
  • Jérémie Fajner
Headquarters,
France
Area served
Worldwide
Divisions
  • Superprod Animation
  • Superprod Drama
  • Superprod Films
  • Superprod Impact
Subsidiaries
  • 440HZ Music
  • Melusine Productions
  • Red Monk Studio
  • Superights Kids & Family
  • The Co-Produciton Company
  • Wheel in Motion
Websitewww.superprod.net/en

Superprod Group is a French independent audiovisuel production company that was founded in 2010 that develops, produces, and distributes animated & live action series and films under their division and subsidiaries. Their main animation production division that is part of the group was Superprod Animation who produce traditional, CGI and hybrid projects.

History

[edit]

Superprod Group was founded in 2010 originally as an animation production studio after former Alphanim (now Gaumont Animation) CEOs and executives Clément Calvet and Jérémie Fajner had left Alphanim after it was acquired by film & television production and distribution company Gaumont two years before.

On May 7 2013, Superprod Animation announced that they've entered the distribution business by teaming up with investment firm Axone Invest to launch Superprod's own in-house international distribution division dedicated to distributing animation and live-action content named Superights Family Entertainment with Superprod's founders Clément Calvet and Jérémie Fajner managing Superprod's new distribution sales division alongside former M6 head of children's programming Morgann Favennec joining Superights as their head director of sales & acquisitions.[1][2]

In September 2015, Superprod Animation expanded outside of their Paris-based animation studio by opening an animation production studio based in Angoulême to expand their animation production activities.[3]

In February 2018, Superprod Group entered the American animation production market thanks to the launching of their an US office based in Los Angeles to expand their international outfit with Superprod's former CFO Louise de Staël heading their new animation office[4]

In June 2018 two years after Superprod Group acquired CGI animation production company Vanilla Seed, Superprod Group decided to rebrand Angoulême-based animation studio Vanilla Seed as their own in-house Angoulême animation studio renamed it to Superprod Studio with the rebranded studio will be in charge of Superprod's CGI productions.[5]

In February 2021, Superprod Group announced that they've taken a majority stake in Milan-based Italian animation studio Red Monk Studio as their expansion into Italy, marking Superprod's entry into the Italian animation production business with Red Monk Studio continued operating as a separate label from Superprod alongside it's founders Lucia Geraldine Scott and Corrado Diodà which remained CEOs of the acquired company with former international sales manager of Superprod's division Superights Pedro Citaristi became managing director of Red Monk as part of the acquisition.[6]

In late-September 2022, Superprod Group acquired New York-based American international production company The Co-Production Company to booster their American development and production activities with it's founder Doug Schwalbe became president of Superprod's new American division Superprod US alongside former Cartoon Network executive Tatiana Krokar became the vice president of Superprod's American division.[7]

In January 2023, Superprod Group announced that they've opened a new animation building in that same location as their expansion to it's Angoulême-based production studio division Superprod Studio and their own Angoulême-based animation production studio along with the company developing their new pipeline deplay named 'Pipeline Flow' becoming the first European animation studio to use it based on Pixar's USD technology.[8]

In December 2023, Superprod Group launched the 360 degree CSR policy division named Superprod Impact with a focus that aims it's commitment to eco-responsibility to the French animation ecosystem that is provided by the France 2030 investment.[9]

In April 2024, Superprod Group acquired Luxembourgish animation production studios Melusine Productions and Studio 352 (who had previously produced Song of the Sea with Superprod) to strengthen their animation production activities and their ability to produce and finance their animated series & feature films, marking Superprod's expansion into the Luxembourg production activities with Melusine founder Stephan Roelants continuing to lead Melusine under Superprod.[10]

Two months later in June of that same year following Superprod's acquisition of Luxembourg animation productions studios Melusine Productions and Studio 352, Superprod announced their entry into the British production activities by teaming up with former Netflix EMEA & Nickelodeon International executive Alexi Wheeler who was attending the French 2024 Annecy International Animated Film Festival at that time to launch a UK-based live-action & animation production subsidiary named Wheel In Motion, giving Superprod a British production subsidiary with the new subsidiary will focus on it's live-action and animated projects.[11]

In February 2025 following Superprod Group's partnership with Watch Next Media back in October 2024 four months ago, Superprod Group under their distribution subsidiary Superights Kids & Family and Watch Next Media through it's distribution arm Kids First Distribution announced a strategic merger of their own distribution catalogues and digital channels with Watch Next Media's production catalogue joining the catalogue of Superprod's own distirbution subsidiary Superights became the biggest international distributor of children's programs as Watch Next's distribution subsidiary Kids First Distribution was renamed to Kids First Digital now focusing on their digital publishing activities with Superights will distribute Watch Next Media's future productions.[12]

Filmography

[edit]

TV series

[edit]
Title Years Network Notes
Geronimo Stilton[13] 2009–2017 M6/France 5
Rai 2 & Rai Gulp (Italy)
inherited from MoonScoop
co-production with Atlantyca Entertainment and Rai Fiction
The New Adventures of Lassie[14] 2014–2020 TF1
ZDF
co-production with DreamWorks Classics, ZDF Enterprises and DQ Entertainment (season 1)
Pat the Dog 2017–2021 Télétoon+
Canal+ Family
Rai Gulp (Italy)
co-production with Animoka Studios, Grid Animation (season 1), Rai Com (season 1) and Rai Ragazzi (season 2)
Helen's Little School[15] 2017 France 5
Knowledge Kids (Canada)
co-production with Muse Entertainment
The Adventures of Paddington 2019–2025 Gulli
M6
Piwi+
Nick Jr. UK
Nickelodeon (international)
co-production with StudioCanal, Heyday Films and Blue Zoo Animation Studio
Go! Go! Cory Carson 2020–2021 Netflix co-production with Kuku Studio and VTech
Batwheels 2022–present Cartoon Network Animation services only[16]
produced by Warner Bros. Animation and DC Entertainment
Spirit Rangers[17] 2022–2024 Netflix co-production with Netflix Animation and Laughing Wild
Lego Friends: The Next Chapter[18] 2023–present YouTube season 2 onwards
co-production with The Lego Group and Passion Pictures
Miffy[19] coming 2025 Canal+ co-production with StudioCanal and Mercis BV
Vet Academy[20] TBA TF1
Underdog[21] Coming 2025 Gulli
M6
Rai Gulp (Italy)
co-production with Red Monk Studio and DreamWorks Classics
A reboot of the 1960s series by W. Watts Biggers

Films

[edit]
Title Release date Distributor Notes
Song of the Sea December 10, 2014 (France/Belgium/Luxembourg)
February 19, 2015 (Denmark)
July 10, 2015 (Ireland)
Haut et Court[22]
O'Brother Distribution (Belgium)
StudioCanal (Ireland)
Svensk Filmindustri (Scandinavia)
co-production with Melusine Productions, Cartoon Saloon, Big Farm and Noerlum Studios
Cafard[23] September 23, 2015 (Belgium)
December 12, 2015 (France)
Eurozoom co-production with Tarantula Belgique, Tondo Films and Topkapi Films
Jailbirds September 16, 2016 Rezo Films under Superprod Films
co-production with Orange Studio, Cine France, Rogue International, Nexus Factory, France 3 Cinema and UMedia
White Fang July 6, 2018 Netflix[24] co-production with Bidibul Productions and Big Beach
Mr. Blake at Your Service![25] November 1, 2023 Universal Pictures International France co-production with Universal Pictures International and Bidibul Productions
The Kid[26] TBA FilmNation Entertainment co-production with Bidibul Productions and Big Beach

References

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  1. ^ Rusak, Gary (May 6, 2013). "Favennec leaves M6 for new distributor Superights Family Entertainment". Kidscreen.
  2. ^ Franks, Nico (May 7, 2013). "M6 exec joins new distributor". C21Media.
  3. ^ Dale, Martin (June 14, 2016). "French TV Animation: Major Hike in French Public Support Mechanisms in 2016". Variety.
  4. ^ "Superprod Opens L.A. Office Headed by Louise de Staël". Animation World Network. February 7, 2018.
  5. ^ Franks, Nico (June 13, 2018). "Superprod replants Vanilla Seed". C21Media.
  6. ^ Vivarelli, Nick (February 10, 2021). "French Animation Studio Superprod Buys Italy's Red Monk Studio (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety.
  7. ^ Goldsmith, Jill (September 29, 2022). "France's Superprod Buys The Co-Production Company; Doug Schwalbe Is President, Former Cartoon Network Exec Tatiana Krokar VP, Of Superprod US". Deadline Hollywood.
  8. ^ "Superprod Dreams Big with Angoulême Studio Expansion". Animation World Network. January 5, 2023.
  9. ^ "Superprod Unveils 'Impact' Corporate Responsibility Policy". Animation Magazine. December 7, 2023.
  10. ^ "France's Superprod Group Acquires Luxembourg's Studio 352/Mélusine Productions". Animation Magazine. April 2, 2024.
  11. ^ Tuchow, Ryan (June 10, 2024). "Alexi Wheeler launches a new studio under Superprod's umbrella". Kidscreen.
  12. ^ Lang, Jamie (February 4, 2025). "Superprod Group and Kids First Merge to Expand Their Children's Programming Distribution (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety.
  13. ^ Milligan, Mercedes (2014-10-14). "Atlantyca, Superprod Team Up for New 'Geronimo Stilton' Series". Animation Magazine. Retrieved 2015-10-02.
  14. ^ Wolfe, Jennifer (2015-06-02). "Year-End Earnings". Animation World Network. Retrieved 2018-09-10.
  15. ^ "'Helen's Little School' Headed to MIPCOM". October 10, 2016.
  16. ^ Milligan, Mercedes (September 21, 2022). "'Batwheels' Burns Rubber to Oct. 17 Series Premiere". Animation Magazine.
  17. ^ "Chris Nee Unveils First Slate of Netflix Animated Preschool Series For Kids Around The World". Netflix Media Center (Press release). October 15, 2020.
  18. ^ "Lego Friends". Superprod. May 2, 2025. Retrieved May 2, 2025.
  19. ^ Barraclough, Leo (October 3, 2023). "Studiocanal, Mercis, Superprod to Produce CGI Animated Series 'Miffy'". Variety.
  20. ^ Tuchow, Ryan (January 27, 2025). "Superprod and TF1 get into Vet Academy". Kidscreen.
  21. ^ Miligan, Mercedes (September 16, 2024). "New 'Underdog' Series Kicks off Production with Superprod & Red Monk". Animation Magazine.
  22. ^ Hopewell, John; Barraclough, Leo (June 14, 2014). "WestEnd Films Rolls Out 'Song of the Sea' (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety.
  23. ^ Tartaglione, Nancy (February 19, 2015). "UTA Signs French 'Song Of The Sea' Producers Superprod". Deadline Hollywood.
  24. ^ Fleming Jr., Mike (February 20, 2018). "Netflix Acquires Animated Sundance Film 'White Fang'". Deadline Hollywood.
  25. ^ Goodfellow, Melanie (November 3, 2021). "John Malkovich, Fanny Ardant sign for comedy-drama 'Mr. Blake At Your Service!' (exclusive)". Screen Daily. Retrieved May 4, 2022.
  26. ^ Keslassy, Elsa (May 16, 2017). "FilmNation Ventures Into Animation with Sci-Fi Reimagining of Chaplin's 'The Kid' (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety.