French Animation Studio Xilam Lands Global Deals for Returning Comedy Franchises
Xilam Animation has closed presales for the ninth season of 'Oggy and the Cockroaches' with Warner Bros. Discovery, and for 'Zig & Sharko' with JioStar and Warner Bros. Discovery Italy. The studio also sold its new spin-off 'Chickies' to Radio Canada and SVT Sweden. These deals run counter to the recent slowdown reported for French animation sales.
The presales were finalized during the Unifrance Rendez-Vous market event. The ninth season of the long-running cat-and-cockroach series has been secured by Warner Bros. Discovery across its European, Middle Eastern, and Asia-Pacific regions. Additionally, the fifth and sixth seasons of the shark-and-zebra comedy were acquired by JioStar in India and Warner Bros. Discovery in Italy.
The studio's new preschool property, "Chickies," has been picked up by Canadian and Swedish public broadcasters. Xilam plans to showcase the initial two episodes at the upcoming MIPCOM market, with the complete season slated for 2027. These transactions stand in contrast to the recent industry-wide downturn in French animation sales reported by national bodies.
The success of these legacy franchises could bolster the international reputation of French animation, potentially encouraging more global buyers to invest in established European IP. This may provide a stabilizing effect for studios navigating the reported sales slowdown, ensuring continued production of familiar content for streaming platforms. For audiences, the availability of these comedies across diverse territories could sustain cross-cultural entertainment habits, while the new spin-off may attract younger viewers to public broadcasting services.