One of the first animation companies in India, Toonz Animation is having this year its 25th anniversary. Established as one of the leaders in its segment, Toonz has evolved into a prominent creator, producer, and distributor of premium content for children and families.
Recently, the company has expanded into feature films, embracing a full spectrum of activities related to live-action and animated feature productions, and is currently participating at Annecy Festival and its market MIFA.
The start of the epic journey
The journey began in the 1990s when entrepreneur G.A. Menon, already a significant figure in the electronics industry, read an article in the Los Angeles Times about the software industry, particularly animation, shifting to more cost-effective locations in Asia. Inspired by this, Menon proposed the idea to the Comcraft Group, leading to the establishment of Toonz Animation India Limited in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, with Disney veteran Bill Dennis as a co-founder. This marked the birth of one of India’s pioneering animation companies.
‘It was something totally new for Kerala. In the initial days, one of our most critical challenges was to train people to execute projects with international production values. We brought in around 75 expert animators from countries such as the Philippines, Singapore, and Australia. For five years, they stayed at the studio, worked, and trained people. We also launched an event, which later became the Animation Masters Summit, to provide a platform for Indian animators to interact and learn from industry veterans. Our first customer was the Cartoon Network for a show called Get Tooned. Initially, everything was hand-drawn, scanned, and painted, taking hours to create even a small show’, tells P. Jayakumar, CEO of Toonz Media Group for the past two decades.
Training academy
In 2002, to tackle the shortage of skilled animators, Toonz launched an animation training academy, absorbing many trainees into the company. The academy’s success led to invitations from various state governments and the Bhutanese government to set up similar academies, which Toonz accomplished.
That same year, Toonz ventured into original content creation with The Adventures of Tenali Rama, India’s first animated television series, aired on Cartoon Network. Until then, the channel predominantly showcased American content. This milestone heralded the emergence of the domestic animation industry, which has since flourished. Toonz also produced India’s first fully animated feature film, Hanuman, which became a significant success.
International breakthroughs and acquisitions
Toonz‘s first major international breakthrough came with Finley the Fire Engine, a CGI-animated children’s television series created for the Hallmark group. The series was picked up by the BBC and distributed globally.
In 2014, company made its first acquisition by purchasing Spanish animation production house Imira Entertainment. This was followed by acquiring the multi-Emmy award-winning Irish studio Telegael, known for its extensive live-action facilities. Additionally, Toonz established a production unit in New Zealand and set up offices in London, Los Angeles, and Istanbul. The company’s flagship global YouTube channel for kids, Chotoonz TV, also gained millions of subscribers.
Expansion into feature films
In 2023, Toonz launched its feature film division, engaging in various activities within the group, including in-house content creation and collaborations with other partners and third-party productions. Among its current projects is The Canterville Ghost, an animated adaptation of Oscar Wilde’s classic.
As Toonz Animation celebrates its 25th anniversary, it continues to innovate and expand, reinforcing its position as a trailblazer in the global animation industry.
