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8 months ago
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EXCLUSIVE: Paris-based Superprod Group has acquired top Luxembourgish animation companies Studio 352 and Mélusine Productions in a move that consolidates its position as one of Europe’s leading animation production groups.
Based in Contern in Southern Luxembourg, the sister companies were founded by Belgian producer Stéphan Roelants in the late 1990s.
Mélusine Productions develops, finances and manages the projects, while Studio 352, which has built up a local team of top-level artists and technicians, executes the work.
The sister companies have been involved in some of the most important animated feature films produced out of Europe in the past 27 years.
At the same time, they have also cemented Luxembourg’s position as an animation production hub, with strong support from the Luxembourg Film Fund.
Latest credits include Neil Boyle and Kirk Hendry’s Michael Morpurgo-adaptation Kensuké’s Kingdom, which won Best Feature Film at the 2024 British Animation Awards in February.
Other past credits include Ari Folman’s The Congress (2013), Tomm Moore’s Oscar-nominated Song of the Sea (2014), and later film Wolfmakers (2020), co-directed with Ross Stewart, as well as Patrick Imbert’s César-winning The Summit of the Gods (2021) and Julien Chheng and Jean-Christophe Roger’s Ernest and Celestine: A Trip To Gibberita.
The companies have several new productions in the works in partnership with top European studios Paris-based Folivari, Ireland’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 company works across all formats but has a special focus on animation with recent credits including TV series Batwheels, Spirit Rangers and Paddington.
The Superprod Group has committed to supporting the development in Luxembourg of both the studio and production company.
Under the deal, Roelants will continue his role as producer on current projects within Mélusine Productions, and will handover general management to Fabien Renelli, who has worked alongside him for almost 20 years.
“Having created, developed and ensured the existence of Studio 352 and Mélusine Productions for 27 years, I’m delighted to be able to handover the reins to the younger generation,” said Roelants.
“Isn’t it the wish of every company founder and manager to see the development of his or her company continued, thus ensuring a promising future? Joining the Superprod Group will give both companies the opportunity to flourish within a group capable of meeting new market challenges while preserving its Luxembourg identity.”
“A relationship of trust with Clément and Jérémie, built up over many years, gives us the prospect of a solid and pleasant collaboration that will, I’m sure, give both entities new letters of nobility.”
Calvet and Fajner expressed pride at the fact that Roelants had entrusted them with the studio he has grown into a key animation partner in Europe over the course of 27 years.
“We’ve known Stéphan and the talented teams at Studio 352 for many years, notably through our co-production of the film Song Of the Sea, which took us together to the Oscars, Césars and European Film Awards,” they said.
“We would also like to pay tribute to Stéphan’s talent and determination, and the reputation of the companies he has developed and placed at the pinnacle of the industry.”
The Superprod Group was advised by Hottinguer Corporate Finance (M&A), Eight Advisory (Due Diligences) and Alérion Avocats (Legal).
Under the acquisition, Studio 352 and Mélusine Productions will have access to extra technical support including Superprod Group’s state-of-the-art USD pipeline – developed in-house and based on Pixar’s open-source Universal Scene Description (USD) technology.
It will also give them access to Superprod Group’s production entities in France and Italy (Red Monk Studio) and the U.S. (The Coproduction Company) as well as its diversified activities in international sales (Superights), music project management and music rights (440Hz) and partnerships with major international studios in Europe and the U.S..
The Superprod Group has committed to reinforcing and developing the Studio 352 and Mélusine Production teams, who will also benefit from opportunities for collaboration and career advancement within the Superprod Group.
Alongside its new Luxembourg acquisition, Superprod Group also runs studios in Paris, Angoulême and Milan and has offices in Los Angeles and New York.
The company works across all formats both as a service provider and original content producer with regular partners including Passion Paris, Netflix, (HBO) Max, Warner Bros Animation, Universal Pictures, Nickelodeon and broadcasters Canal Plus, France Télévisions, TF1, M6 SND, BBC, RAI and ARD.
Recent production highlights include animation TV series Batwheels, Spirit Rangers and Paddington, live-action movies Mr Blake At Your Service, and live-action TV series Panda and Home Sweet Rome.
