Ellipse Animation, Belvision, and the PAN group have announced a strategic partnership to co-develop two new high-profile animated features based on established European intellectual properties. This move strengthens their existing collaboration, which previously included work on the live-action Largo Winch franchise and the animated film The Legendaries. The two newly announced projects will focus on the globally recognized brands Lucky Luke and Yakari.
Co-developed bythree companies, this new 3D animated feature will bring the iconic Lucky Luke franchise back to the big screen with a budget of €18.5 million. The film is set to be directed by Bernard Campan and Célestine Plays, featuring an original screenplay by Campan and Antoine Schoumsky. The visual development will be managed by La Grange Animation and Stim Studio, while Szymon Biernacki and Clément Dartigues will lead the artistic direction. The plot centers on Lucky Luke and Jolly Jumper as they attempt to take a few days off in Fanga Town, a city obsessed with modern trends like selfies, burgers, soda, and jeans. There, they must face off against unapologetic capitalism in the form of Jeff McDium, a tycoon monopolizing drinking water and polluting the local river.
Produced by Nathalie Gastaldo Godeau, Caroline Duvochel, and Raphaële Ingberg, the film will begin production in the second half of 2026, with Pan Distribution handling the release planned for 2029. The brand is currently celebrating its 80th anniversary with a major cross-media rollout and boasts over 320 million copies sold across 36 languages.
In adittion, Pan Distribution will handle the French theatrical distribution for the second project, Yakari Brave Heart, which targets family audiences from age five and is scheduled for release in the first half of 2027. Produced by Ellipse Animation and Belvision with a €9.3 million budget, the feature is written and directed by Xavier Giacometti, who previously helmed the TV series and the first feature adaptation. The story follows Yakari and his spirited mustang Little Thunder on a quest across the vast plains to find the guardian bison Tathanka in order to wake his friend Buffalo-Seed, who threatens to fall into the world of dreams. To ensure cultural authenticity, the production, featuring Pierre Reyssat as artistic producer, involved extensive research on Lakota culture alongside academic Maurice Rebeix, Lakota screenwriter Lucas Brown Eyes, and Lakota culture preservation activist Andrew Iron Shell. The Yakari property continues to be a massive success, boasting 42 comic book volumes in 24 languages, five animated series, and a previous feature film released in 2020.
Caroline Duvochel, Managing Director of Ellipse Animation, expressed excitement about the partnership, noting the shared ambition of creating standout European animated features for global audiences using major IPs like Lucky Luke and Yakari. Furthermore, Nathalie Gastaldo Godeau, President of Pan Animation, stated that the company is committed to creating a contemporary Lucky Luke film that captures the humor and codes of today’s society while remaining faithful to the original comic book legacy.
