Ánima Estudios

History

Ánima Estudios was founded in 2002. It is the leading animation studio in Latin America.

The studio released their first feature film, Magos y Gigantes, on 19 November 2003, which was distributed by 20th Century Fox. It was the first Mexican animated feature in over 30 years.

On 11 March 2005, Ánima Estudios released its second film, Imaginum, a sci-fi comedy film, which was later released worldwide by Porchlight Entertainment being sold in over 90 countries.

On 14 December 2005, the studio announced a partnership with Estación Espacial to produce a new miniseries called Poncho Balón. It ran on Canal 5 during the 2006 FIFA World Cup. It features the voice of Humberto Vélez as the title character.

In 2006, Ánima Estudios produced a new TV series, El Chavo Animado, based on the popular live-action series of the same name created by Roberto Gómez Bolaños. It premiered on Canal 5 in Mexico on 21 October 2006. It later premiered in the United States on Univision on 24 January 2008 with highly successful ratings. It is, as of today, the highest rated animated show in all of Latin America.

On 12 February 2008, Variety reported that the studio partnered with New York City-based Classic Media (now known as DreamWorks Classics) to produce a new animated feature, titled Kung Fu Magoo, featuring Mr. Magoo. It marks the first time a Latin American production was sold to the US market.

On 6 October 2008, The Hollywood Reporter reported that Porchlight Entertainment and Ánima Estudios announced an international agreement to produce, A Martian Christmas, a sci-fi holiday television film. It was released direct-to-video on 10 November 2009.

The studio released its third film, El Agente 00-P2, an action comedy film that references the popular James Bond movies. It stars the voices of Jaime Camil, Dulce María and Silvia Pinal and was released on 13 February 2009.

On 7 December 2009, the company made an international agreement with Argentina's Illusion Studios and Toonz India Ltd to co-produce the computer animated film, Gaturro, which is based on the popular Argentine comic book series of the same name and was released on 10 September 2010 in Argentina in 3D. It was the first Indian-Latin American co-production and was hugely successful at the Argentinian box office.

On 11 May 2010, Kung Fu Magoo, an action comedy film based on the popular cartoon character, Mr. Magoo, was released direct-to-video in the United States, and later has its television premiere on Disney XD on February 7, 2011. In the English version, the film features the voices of Chris Parnell, Dylan and Cole Sprouse, Alyson Stoner, and Kenny Mayne as himself.

On 22 January 2010, the studio released their fifth animated film, AAA – Sin Límite en el Tiempo, which is the fictional take on the Mexican lucha libre professional wrestling promotion team, Asistencia Asesoría y Administración.

On 16 September 2011, the studio released its seventh animated film, Top Cat: The Movie, a.k.a. Don Gato y su Pandilla in Mexico, distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. It is based on the short-lived Hanna Barbera cartoon, Top Cat. The film became a huge box office success in Mexico, and became one of the most successful releases ever for a Mexican production.

On 28 September 2011, the company has announced an international partnership with Australia's SLR Productions, Home Plate Entertainment, and Ireland's Telegael to create a new animated series, called Teenage Fairytale Dropouts. The show was loosely based on the studio's first film, Magos y Gigantes and premiered on 31 December 2012 on Seven Network in Australia. It was sold to over 35 countries including Spain (TV), HBO Asia and The Hub in the US.

On 21 October 2011, the studio released a horror-comedy film, La Leyenda de la Llorona, which is a sequel to Animex's La Leyenda de la Nahuala. The movie was among the top 5 most successful movies of the year in Mexico.

On 27 April 2012, the studio released Gaturro, La Pelicula in Mexico, distributed by Santo Domingo Films.

In 2012, the company celebrated its 10th anniversary.

The studio created a new film label, Átomo Films, aiming for teens and adults and has released the film, El Santos vs. La Tetona Mendoza, on November 30. It is a film adaption of the popular Mexican comic book series, created by José Ignacio Solórzano, and it stars an ensemble voice cast of famous Mexican actors, such as Daniel Giménez Cacho, José María Yazpik, Héctor Jiménez, and veteran filmmaker Guillermo del Toro. This film was later shown at the 2013 Annecy Film Festival, becoming the first Mexican animated feature to premiere at that event.

On 1 December 2012, Variety has reported that the studio is focusing on developing new projects in English. “U.S. and European buyers pay close attention to the lip sync," said Fernando de Fuentes. "Latin American buyers are more used to buying dubbed products. It’s right to go with English to attack those markets first.” Additionally, the studio has also announced that the company's first CGI film, Wicked Flying Monkeys and a sequel to Top Cat are in development.

On 5 February 2013, Ánima Estudios announced a partnership with Spain's Vodka Capital and Televisa Home Entertainment to co-produce a multi-platform series, titled Bugsted. The franchise consists of a series of collectible action figures, a game app developed for the iOS and Android systems, and a TV miniseries aimed for children, aimed 8-11.

On 2 August 2013, Top Cat: The Movie saw a limited theatrical release in the United States through Viva Pictures, with actors, Rob Schneider and Danny Trejo lending their voices as Lou Strickland and Griswald, respectively.

On 17 October 2013, Ánima Estudios have announced that they will invest $170 million pesos from Latin Idea Ventures, as part of the studio's expansion plan.

On 7 November 2013, it has been reported that the company announced its first CGI film as a flagship producer, titled Wicked Flying Monkeys. The film is the studio's biggest production to date and is also their first English-language production. The film is an adaptation of The Wizard of Oz books, but features an original story. It is produced with India's Discreet Arts and international rights will be handled by FilmSharks. Wicked Flying Monkeys was designed, written and executive produced by Jorge Gutierrez.

On 22 April 2014, Ánima Estudios launched a European division based in Madrid, Spain, named Ánima Kitchent.

On 28 April 2014, the studio announced the production of their third animated television series, which is based on El Chapulín Colorado.

On 22 May 2014, Televisa Interactive Media published and released Kickos, a new soccer-themed game app developed by Ánima Estudios for the Android and iOS systems. Kickos was a featured app in the App Store in 17 countries and was also highlighted as one of the best new games in the App Store during the weeks after its release. The app is currently available on the iTunes App Store and Google Play.

On 31 May 2014, Teenage Fairytale Dropouts premiered in the United States on the Hub Network (now Discovery Family), which was the first time a Latin American animated series was acquired by a major U.S. network and the first time the studio entered the market.

On 17 September 2014, Variety reported that a computer-animated follow-up to Top Cat: The Movie, titled Top Cat Begins, has been announced for release on 7 August 2015, distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures in Mexico. Additionally, it is also announced that the studio is currently in production with a feature film adaptation of DePatie-Freleng's Here Comes the Grump.

On 30 October 2014, the studio's latest feature, La Leyenda de las Momias de Guanajuato, was released in the motion-enhanced 4DX format, becoming the first ever Mexican film to do so.

On 18 February 2015, European division company, Ánima Kitchent, announced a partnership with Famosa to adapt its PinyPon toy brand into a television series.

On 1 April 2015, it has been announced that the CG feature, Gaturro, will be released in the United States, which was released straight-to-DVD on February 16, 2016, distributed by Viva Pictures.

The company's first CGI animated production, Wicked Flying Monkeys, premiered on April 10, 2015, debuting at 3rd place at the box office. At the same time, the movie was released in Russia, being the very first Latin American movie to receive a wide commercial release in the nation. Meanwhile, during the 2015 Cannes Film Festival, the film was sold for distribution in various countries, such as the United Kingdom, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Australia and New Zealand. The studio's eleventh feature, Wicked Flying Monkeys will be launched in the United States on DVD and Digital formats on January 24, 2017 and will be released as Guardians of Oz.

On 15 April 2015, the El Chapulín Colorado animated series premiered on the digital platform website, VEO, gaining great critical and commercial reception. It premiered shortly after on Televisa's Free TV Channels in Mexico as well as on several broadcast channels throughout Latin America.

Top Cat Begins was released in theaters in Mexico on October 30, 2015 by Warner Bros. Pictures, debuting in 3rd place at the Mexican box office.

On August 24, 2015, the "Vamos a la cama” music video, starring “La Familia Telerin” was released in Mexican TV during prime time on Channel 2, the country's most watched channel by far. It was broadcast daily at the same time slot for the following 6 months.

On September 17, 2015, the company has announced a partnership with global media streaming website company Netflix to create their first original animated series produced in Latin America, named Las Leyendas, which is based on the Leyendas horror-comedy animated film saga. It will premiere worldwide exclusively on the streaming service sometime in 2017, and will produced and written by James Krieg.

On February 10, 2016, European division Ánima Kitchent announced an agreement with Televisa to produce a new animated reboot series based on Spain's popular television program La Familia Telerín, which ran in the late-1960's and 1970's. Produced in English, the reboot series will consist up to 52 7-minute episodes. The premiere date is currently unknown.

On February 18, 2016, Variety has reported that Frederator Networks and Ánima Estudios announced a partnership to launch the world’s largest Spanish-Language animation Network in YouTube, Átomo Network, which is focused primarily on the Hispanic and Spanish-language-speaking market. It will feature original programming produced by Ánima Estudios, as well as Spanish-dubbed versions of currently popular Channel Frederator shows, such as "107 Facts", while recruiting international talent. “Átomo Network opens up a new global outlet for audiences and creators alike. We aim to give Spanish-speaking audiences all over the world an entertainment destination specifically tailored to them” said José C. García de Letona, COO & Executive Vice President Ánima Estudios.

On March 14, 2016, Ánima Estudios has announced their next film, titled La Leyenda del Chupacabras, the fourth installment of the La Leyendas film series. Alberto Rodriguez will return to direct.

On March 22, 2016, Warner Bros. announced the UK release for Top Cat Begins, which was released theatrically on 27 May 2016.

Top Cat: The Movie is one of the Top 20 highest-grossing independent animated movies worldwide.[17]

On April 5, 2016, Variety announced that at the 2016 MipTV, European division Ánima Kitchent has announced an agreement with Televisa and Russian broadcasters Karusel TV and Ani to pick up broadcasting rights for Piny, based on the popular PinyPon toys. It will consist a total of 52 episodes and will be aimed at ages 6–8. In addition, Kitchent is also producing 20 clips for video streaming website YouTube which will be a live-action/animation hybrid. It was also reported that Bugsted, a co-production with the mainline Ánima Estudios, will be getting a feature spin-off.

On April 15, 2016, Ánima Estudios along with Chatrone announced a partnership with the California Institute of the Arts, a top-leading animation school. The partnership demonstrates Anima's commitment for the growth of the animation industry in Latin America. “It is an honor and a privilege to start this relationship with CalArts,” said COO Jose C. Garcia de Letona. “We are positive [that] it will have a long term impact in the quality of our productions, the animation industry in Latin America, and in the professional lives of our staff.”

On May 26, 2016 Ánima Estudios and the Latin American branch of Cartoon Network have announced a joint venture animation contest for young creators to pitch their own animated projects aimed for children ages 6 to 11. “We aim to grow the industry not only in Mexico but in Latin America as well. There’s a lot of amazing creators in the region who have wonderful projects that should be supported and promoted”, commented Anima COO Jose C. Garcia de Letona. Winners were later announced on August 16, 2016, with short film The Seventh Knight, created by Andrés Eduardo Luna Rivera and Sebastián Felipe Luna Rivera from Colombia, and series-contender WTQ: What the quest is this?, created by Ernesto Molina from Mexico, both winning first-place prizes. "We are very happy with the response we got to this contest,” said Hernan La Greca, senior creative director for Cartoon Network Latin America and its subsidiaries. “We are thrilled to support animation in Latin America through initiatives that promote the development of new talent and provide exposure to new ideas and productions.” Ánima COO José C. García Letona also added that the company's response to the contest "has surpassed our expectations, not only for the number of projects that were submitted, but also for their quality. We are excited to confirm that there’s a huge amount of talent in Latin America committed to creating animated content.”

To date, Top Cat Begins has been released internationally in Colombia on June 2, 2016, Italy on July 20, in Bulgary on August 19, in Turkey on August 26, Portugal on November 10 and some other coutries like UK, Israel, Hong Kong, Australia and New Zealand among others.

La Leyenda del Chupacabras was released theatrically in the United States on October 14, 2016, and later in Mexico on October 21, 2016, where it performed amazingly on its opening weekend at the Mexican box office with an audience of over 1 million in 3 days, becoming one of the top 20 grossing mexican films of all time. "We are beyond happy with the results at the box office and the ever-growing loyal following our Leyendas have in in Latin America," said Ánima EVP and COO, José C. García de Letona.

The teaser images and further details for the studio's next CG animated feature, based on DePatie-Freleng's Here Comes the Grump television series, have been released. It is a co-production with London-based Prime Focus World. It is expected to be completed by the first-half of 2017. The film is being written by Jim Hecht and designed by Craig Kellman. Andres Couturier is directing the film. “We are thrilled to announce this project which fully leverages the combined strengths of our two companies, and we look forward to creating a movie which aims to be a fun and groovy comedy for the whole family,” said Jose C. García de Letona, COO at Anima Estudios and a producer of the film.

Forbes Magazine recognized Ánima Estudios as the most important and successful animation studio in Latin America, and its founders Fernando de Fuentes and Jose C. Garcia de Letona, for building up the company since its creation.

Ánima has signed Mattel as Global Master Toy partner for its new TV series “Cleo & Cuquin.” Mattel will produce and market toys across a variety of categories for the new brand. ‘Cleo & Cuquin,’ is a great opportunity for us to bring to life characters that not only appeal to today’s preschoolers but also have nostalgia with parents in markets where Familia Telerin has strong heritage,” says Lauren DeFeo, vice president, Toy Box division, Mattel.

On February 24, 2017, Legend Quest premiered on Netflix worldwide (190 countries), receiving universal acclaim.

Ánima Estudios and Cartoon Network launched a second animation contest for short format series which will run until April 28, 2017. José C. García de Letona, Anima’s COO, commented: “We’re proud and happy to continue our efforts on supporting creators from Latin America showcase their talents; we are also extremely honored to have Cartoon Network as our partner in this intitiative for the second year in a row”.

Films

^* Produced through its adult-themed label, Átomo Films.

TV shows

^A Animation services only; some episodes only
^A Produced under its European label, Ánima Kitchent