Xilam
French animation studio
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Xilam Animation SAS is a French animation studio which specializes in making animated television series and feature films. Marc du Pontavice and his wife Alix de Maistre founded it in 1999 as a replacement for the animation division of Gaumont Multimédia, which was itself an offshoot of the company's television division Gaumont Télévision, a company he co-founded in 1990.[4][5]
 | |
| Company type | Public |
|---|---|
| Euronext Paris: XIL
CAC Small | |
| ISIN | FR0004034072 |
| Industry | Animation |
| Founded | 5 August 1999 |
| Founders | Marc du Pontavice Alix de Maistre |
| Headquarters | Paris, France |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | Marc du Pontavice (CEO) Alix de Maistre (administrator)[1][2] |
Number of employees | 600 (2025) |
| Subsidiaries | Armada TMT Igloo Productions GmbH Xilam Films SAS Xilam Multimédia SAS Xilam Studio SAS Xilam Studio Angoulême SAS (since December 2016)[3] Cube Creative (since 2020) |
| Website | xilam.com |
History
The origin of Xilam is closely linked to Gaumont's television production activity, launched in the early 1990s. From 1990, Marc du Pontavice joined the Gaumont group to develop a television production activity and co-founded Gaumont Télévision. In 1995, he formed a video game and animation division of the company, Gaumont Multimédia.[4] From 1994 to 1998, certain animations such as Space Goofs and Oggy and the Cockroaches met with international success for the company.
In December 1998, Pontavice left the company[4] but would remain as a freelance executive producer for the second season of Oggy and the Cockroaches. The following year, he went on to found Xilam and produce his own animated properties.[6] Around this time, Gaumont was looking to exit the animation market, and in January 2000, Xilam, in partnership with German trader Igel Media, acquired Gaumont Multimédia's 200-episode animation library.[7]
In 2002, Xilam started trading in the Euronext Paris stock exchange.[8]
Xilam's programs, including Shuriken School,[9] Space Goofs,[10] and Oggy and the Cockroaches,[11] are internationally successful.
In 2003, the company released its first animated feature film, the CGI-based Kaena: The Prophecy.[12] In 2005, they announced an animated film based on The New Adventures of Lucky Luke.[13] Xilam bought the Armada animation studio in Vietnam in 2008.
In 2012, they announced Oggy and the Cockroaches: The Movie would be made.[14] In 2015, Xilam announced the production of seasons 5-7 of Oggy and the Cockroaches using 4K and Ultra HD.[15] A new studio was opened in Angoulême in order to repatriate production to France in addition to that of Villeurbanne.[16]
In 2016, the studio opened a new office in Lyon, France in order to accelerate production.[17][18] This new studio would produce the Paprika series, as well as the second season of Magic.[19] In 2019, it was announced that Xilam would acquire 50.1% of French CG studio Cube Creative.[20] The deal was finalized on 20 January 2020.[21][22]
The studio almost bought the children's free-to-air TV channel Gulli in 2019, after Lagardère was about to sell its television channels in a fierce dispute between the M6 channel, which ended up buying the channel, and the company's television division in that year.[23]
On December 1, 2025, Xilam launched Toon Box – a brand-new, kids-safe streaming app featuring over 1,000 pieces of content from across its legacy library and new series, alongside an exclusive range of videos, activities, storybooks and games. Aimed at children aged 3-10 years old, the subscription-based and ad-free app has rolled out across 11 territories (the UK, the US, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, India, Mexico, Brazil, Australia) and was initially available on IOS before also launching on Android devices in 2026. Toon Box caters to the whole family featuring some of the most iconic series from Xilam's catalogue, including Oggy and the Cockroaches, Zig & Sharko, Where's Chicky?, Mr. Magoo, The Daltons, Lupin's Tales, Paprika, and more. Episodes are available to download and watch offline, and Xilam updates the app with new content each month. To access the full Toon Box offering, new subscribers benefit from a free first month and can choose between two offers: a monthly subscription with no commitment, or an annual subscription. The group has developed this project with tightly controlled investment.[24]
Xilam previously used animation services in South Korea, such as Big Star Enterprise and Dong Woo Animation to animate their productions, but they stopped in the 2010s when it became too expensive and began focusing on animation services in Vietnam and the Philippines.[25] The studio's current headquarters, since 2018, are located in the former French headquarters of the comic book publisher Dupuis.[26]
The studio's name is an anagram of a declaration of love from Marc du Pontavice to his wife, Alix de Maistre (M-Alix), as it has an edifying interpretation and is composed of two syllables "xi" and "lam", where the first comes from the Greek name for the letter "X", which is the symbol of transgression and the second is a reference to the soul which comes from the Latin word anima.[27]
Filmography
Animated series
| Title | Creator(s) / Developer(s) | Years | Network | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cartouche: Prince of the Streets | Éric-Paul Marais | 2001–02 | M6 | co-production with Storimages |
| The New Adventures of Lucky Luke[9][28] | Morris (original characters) | 2001–03 | France 3 Télé-Québec/Teletoon (Canada) | co-production with Dargaud Marina, Tooncan Productions and Lucky Comics |
| Ratz[9] | Monsieur Z | 2003–04 | Teletoon (Canada) France 3 and Canal J | co-production with Tooncan Productions |
| Tupu | Pepper Sue Elastik Jane | 2005 | France 3 Gulli | |
| Space Goofs (season 2)[7][10] | Jean-Yves Raimbaud Philippe Traversat (d): Isabelle De Catalogne Samuel Kaminka | 2005–06 | France 3 | Purchased from Gaumont |
| Shuriken School[11] | Emilio Gallego Jesùs Gallego (d): Pascal Morelli | 2006–07 | France 3 Jetix (Europe) | co-production with Zinkia Entertainment |
| Rintindumb[29] | Morris (original characters) | France 3 | co-production with Dargaud Marina and Lucky Comics | |
| A Kind of Magic[11] | Michel Coulon Arthur de Pins | 2008–18 | France 3/Disney Channel (season 1) Gulli/Canal J (season 2) Primo TV (United States) (season 2) | |
| Oggy and the Cockroaches (seasons 3–7)[10] | Jean-Yves Raimbaud | 2008–19 | Canal+ Family (seasons 3–4) Gulli (seasons 5–7) | Purchased from Gaumont |
| Rahan: Son of the Dark Age[30][31] | Roger Lécureux André Chéret (original characters) (d): Jean Pecheux Pescal Morelli | 2008–09 | Canal+ Family & France 3 Rai Gulp (Italy) Kika (Germany) | co-production with Castelrosso Films, Rai Fiction and ZDF Enterprises |
| Mr. Baby[30][32][33] | Marc du Pontavice Carol-Ann Willering (d): Franck Ekinci | 2009–10 | France 3 | |
| The Daltons | Morris (original characters) (d): Olivier Jean-Marie Jean-François Henry | 2010–16 | France 3 | co-production with Dargaud Media, Lucky Comics and B Media Kids |
| Zig & Sharko[10] | Olivier Jean-Marie | 2010–24 | Canal+ (season 1) Gulli/M6 (seasons 2–4) | |
| FloopaLoo, Where Are You?[34] | Marc du Pontavice (d): Fabien Limousin | 2011–14 | Canal+ Family/Teletoon+ & France 5 Rai 2/Frisbee (Italy) | co-production with Rai Fiction (season 1) and Castelrosso Films |
| What's the Big Idea? | Tanguy de Kermel | 2013 | France 5 CBeebies (United Kingdom) | co-production with Planet Nemo Animation and Skyline Entertainment |
| Hubert & Takako[35] | Hugo Gittard | 2013–15 | Gulli Canal+ Canal J | |
| Rolling with the Ronks! | Olivier Jean-Marie Charles Vaucelle (d): Franck Ekinci | 2016–17 | France 3 Disney Channel[36] (International) Primo TV (United States) | |
| Paprika[37] | Marion Billet Baptiste Lucas | 2017–19 | France 5 Disney Jr. (International) | |
| If I Were an Animal...[38] | Marc du Pontavice Frédéric Fougea | 2018 | YouTube | co-production with Boréales |
| Athleticus[39] | Nicolas Deveaux | 2018–24 | Arte | co-production with Cube Creative |
| Mr. Magoo[40][41] | Millard Kaufman John Hubley (original characters) Olivier Jean-Marie Hugo Gittard Olivier Delabarre Baptiste Lucas | 2019–23 | France 4 (episodes 1–76) CITV (episodes 77–118) ITVX (episodes 77–150) | co-production with Classic Media |
| Moka's Fabulous Adventures![42] | Andrès Fernandez Maxence Sani | 2020 | Gulli | |
| Boon & Pimento[43] | 2020 | YouTube | co-production with CrossRiver Productions | |
| Coach Me If You Can[44] | Olivier Pouchelon | 2020 | France 4 Cartoon Network (Europe) | |
| Where's Chicky? (seasons 2–4)[45] | William Hoareau | 2020–25 | Canal J | co-production with Cube Creative |
| Lupin's Tales[46] | Nicolas Le Nevé Laura Muller | 2021–present | France 5 Rai Yoyo (Italy) Youku (China) | co-production with Maga Animation Studio and Rai Ragazzi |
| Chip 'n' Dale: Park Life[47][48] | Bill Justice (original characters) | 2021–24 | Disney+ | co-production with Disney Branded Television |
| Oggy Oggy[49] | Jean-Yves Raimbaud (original characters) | 2021–23 | France 5 Netflix | |
| Tangranimals[50] | Rémi Chapotot Tristan Michel | 2021 | France 5 | co-production with Cube Creative |
| Pfffirates[51] | Guillaume Herent Benjamin Busnel Carine Hinderchiette | 2022 | TFOU | |
| Oggy and the Cockroaches: Next Generation[52] | Jean-Yves Raimbaud (original characters) | 2022 | Netflix | |
| The Adventures of Bernie | Olivier Jean-Marie (original characters) Alexandre Simard Mathieu Peters-Houg Lucille Briand | 2022 | RTS Gulli | Spin-off of Zig & Sharko |
| Karate Sheep[53][54] | Hugo Gittard | 2023 | Gulli Netflix | |
| Kaeloo (season 5)[55] | Rémi Chapotot Jean-François Henry Tristan Michel | 2023 | Canal+ Kids | co-production with Cube Creative and Blue Spirit |
| Buddybot[56][57] | Vincent Souchon Joyce Colson Florent Remize | 2024–present | Okoo | |
| Twilight of the Gods[58][59] | Zack Snyder Jay Oliva Eric Carrasco | 2024 | Netflix | co-production with Netflix Animation Studios and The Stone Quarry |
| Piggy Builders[60][61] | Marie Manand Julien Hazebroucq Emmanuelle Leleu | 2025–present | France 5 CBeebies (United Kingdom) Kika (Germany) | |
| The Doomies[62] | Andrès Fernandez Henry Gifford Pozla | 2026–present | Disney+ | |
| Chickies[63] | 2027 | France Télévisions | ||
| Gemma and the Defenders[64] | TBA | TBA | ||
| Phil & Sophia[65] | TBA | TBA | ||
| Submarine Jim[66] | Frédéric Martin | TBA | France Télévisions Super RTL (Germany) |
Purchased from Gaumont
- Highlander: The Animated Series (1994–96)[67]
- Sky Dancers (1996)[7]
- Dragon Flyz (1996–97)[7]
- The Magician (1997–98)
Film
Purchased from Gaumont
- Highlander: The Adventure Begins (1996; a compilation of the first few episodes of Highlander: The Animated Series)
- Dragon Flyz: The Legend Begins (1996; a compilation of the first three episodes of Dragon Flyz)
Original
| Title | Year | Distributor | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kaena: The Prophecy[12] | 2003 | BAC Films[68] | |
| Go West! A Lucky Luke Adventure[69] | 2007 | Pathé Distribution (France) Alliance Vivafilm (Canada) | co-production with Dargaud Media, Lucky Comics, France 3 Cinéma, Pathé, TPS Star, Cinecinema and Mikros Image |
| Shuriken School: The Ninja's Secret | 2007 | Disney Channel | co-production with Zinkia Entertainment |
| Oggy and the Cockroaches: The Movie[14] | 2013 | BAC Films | co-production with France 3 Cinéma, Canal+, France Télévisions, CNC, B Media Kids, Backup Films,[70] A Plus Image 4, Cofinova 9, Cofimage 24, Les Films du Gorak, Cube Creative and Mikros Image |
| I Lost My Body[71] | 2019 | Rezo Films[72] | Xilam's first R-rated movie |
| My Life in Versailles[73][74] | 2019 | Dandelooo | co-production with Films Grand Huit and Miyu Productions |
| The Migrant[75] | 2024 | Dandelooo | |
| Lucy Lost[76][77][78] | 2026 | Le Pacte | |
| The Wolf[77] | TBA | ||
Other productions
Purchased from Gaumont
- Monster Men (single version of the opening song in the series Space Goofs; performed by Iggy Pop, distributed by Virgin Records)
Original
- Stupid Invaders (2000)[79] (video game adapted of the series Space Goofs)
- Do Not Panic on Board (single version of the opening song in the series Ratz; distributed by Sony Music)
