Annecy MIFA 2025: Mediawan Kids & Family unveiled major animation lineup

In a landmark year marking the 40th anniversary of the Annecy Festival, Mediawan Kids & Family made a high-impact presentation of its expanding animation portfolio, unveiling new partnerships, strategic content development, and high-profile festival entries. Central to the announcement was the official competition entry of “A Magnificent Life (Marcel et Monsieur Pagnol)”, a new feature by four-time Oscar nominee Sylvain Chomet, which follows its Cannes selection with a bid for top honors at Annecy.

Mediawan announced the launch of a new Digital First content strategy in collaboration with top digital platforms. The first two titles under this initiative are “Claynosaurz,” an animated series adapted from the globally successful digital property, and “Wadoo,” developed in partnership with El Reino Infantil, the most-watched Spanish-language YouTube channel in the world. These initiatives reflect Mediawan’s commitment to reaching Gen Alpha audiences on native digital platforms.

The group also expanded its network of strategic alliances. In partnership with Nickelodeon, Mediawan secured international distribution rights for “Mister Crocodile,” a new animated series from the world of acclaimed French creator Joann Sfar. Meanwhile, in France, Mediawan has teamed up with TF1 to co-develop “Artefacts – Thieves of Thieves,” an original comedy-adventure helmed by Totally Spies! director Stéphane Berry.

Across its various production banners, Mediawan’s pipeline is robust. Method Animation currently has five series in production, including “Ki & Hi” for Canal+, based on Kevin Tran’s best-selling French manga, and “Astro Boy Reboot,” a reimagining of Osamu Tezuka’s iconic character, co-produced with Shibuya International for TF1 and ZDF. Additional titles include “Karters” (with Warner Bros. Discovery and DeAPlaneta), “Tuff Pom” (with Wildseed Studios for France Télévisions and BBC), and “Witch Detectives” (co-produced with Toonz Media Group for TF1 and Super RTL).

Somewhere Animation, known for developing youth and tween content, continues work on “Artefacts” and will showcase two new projects — “Chococat & Me” and “Temtem” — at Cartoon Forum. Elsewhere, newly acquired Toon2Tango, part of LEONINE Studios, introduced three properties: “Littlest Robot,” “Eldrador” (co-produced with toy brand Schleich), and “Letter Town Detective.” Submarine Studios has delivered “Pol the Pirate Mouse” and is developing “Max and Bird,” a new comedy series, while Wildseed Studios is advancing two high-concept titles: “Collideoscope” and a revival of “The Magic Roundabout.”

Mediawan’s distribution division continues to manage a growing catalogue of over 5,000 episodes and 3,000 half-hours of content, bolstered by recent third-party acquisitions including BBC titles “Duck and Frog” and “Maddie + Triggs,” which centers on the adventures of a visually impaired girl and her dog.

A key highlight was the update from Miraculous Corp, Mediawan’s joint venture with ZAG, which is building on the global success of “Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir.” The sixth season is currently airing, with a seventh in production. The brand is expanding with “Miraculous Chibi,” a 52-episode short-form 2D comedy series launching on YouTube in late 2025, followed by releases on Disney and TF1 in 2026. Looking ahead, “Miraculous: Stellar Force,” the first original spin-off acquired by Disney Branded Television, is set for a 2027 premiere. The new series will blend anime aesthetics with high-energy kung fu action and emotionally resonant teen storytelling.

Mediawan Kids & Family is positioning itself as a global content powerhouse, leveraging long-term IP, strategic partnerships, and cross-platform reach to engage a new generation of viewers in a highly competitive animation market.