The deal will allow the French company behind ‘MFKZ’ and ‘Wakfu’ to expand its production pipeline and benefit from Inthebox’s 3D animation expertise.
‘MFKZ (Mutafukaz).’ Image courtesy of Ankama.
French entertainment company Ankama (Mutafukaz, Wakfu) has acquired a minority stake in the Annecy-based animation studio Inthebox (The Inventor, Even Mice Belong in Heaven), according to Variety.
In an interview with the publication, Ankama’s co-founder Anthony Roux revealed the deal will allow the company to “fast-track its production pipeline and benefit from Inthebox’s expertise with different techniques, such as 3D animation.”
“In France, there are still people working in 2D but as soon as you want to make a bit of money or be slightly more commercial it has to be in 3D,” Roux continued. “Netflix will pay more for 3D animated projects because they have found that kids are more engaged than when watching 2D content.”
Akama also recently partnered with veteran Guillaume Dubois to create Studio Unagi. With both animation studios, Ankama looks to increase production and build a larger development slate.
Journalist, antique shop owner, aspiring gemologist—L'Wren brings a diverse perspective to animation, where every frame reflects her varied passions.
