[BLE 2024 Special] An exclusive interview with Xilam Animation

Xilam is an integrated studio founded in 1999 that creates, produces and distributes original programmes in more than 190 countries for children and adults, broadcast on television and on SVoD (Netflix, Disney+, Amazon, etc.) and AVoD (YouTube, Facebook, etc.) platforms.

With a global reputation for creativity and its capacity for innovation, an editorial and commercial expertise at the forefront of its industry, Xilam is positioned as a key player in a fast-growing market.

Each year, Xilam, builds on its real successes and capitalises on powerful historical brands (Oggy and the Cockroaches, Zig & Sharko, Where’s Chicky?, etc.) and new brands (Oggy Oggy in the pre-school sector, Mr. Magoo, Karate Sheep, etc.) which are consolidating and expanding a significant catalogue of more than 2,700 episodes and 3 feature films including the Oscar-nominated I Lost My Body.

Xilam has unique GCI skills. Xilam employs more than 600 people, including 400 artists, across its studios in Paris, Angoulême and Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam.

Here’s an interview with the Xilam Animation team about their attendance at the BLE.

Can you tell us about the exciting new projects you are bringing to BLE 2024?

We are thrilled to bring a distinctive, expanding and colourful slate of new, refreshed and long-standing brands to BLE 2024, as well as showcasing them to new and existing partners over the coming months. Our headlining project is Piggy Builders – a preschool series which follows a trio of charismatic and curly-tailed piggy siblings. The first season will launch on leading European broadcasters, including BBC, ZDF and France Télévisions, in 2025. We are looking for partners to build the brand’s licensing programme across toys, publishing, games, gifting and apparel.

Are there any other iconic properties or series that you will be showcasing at BLE 2024?

Absolutely, we will also be featuring popular properties such as Space Goofs and Ratz, which have seen popularity on Netflix, Prime Video and TikTok and both have enthusiastic and growing fan communities, and animation comedy Zig & Sharko, which was our best-selling series in 2023 and has an array of licensing activity in the pipeline for 2024.

Additionally we are excited to present Oggy Oggy, a preschool spin-off from its iconic Oggy and the Cockroaches franchise. The first season saw 30M hours viewed on YouTube in 2023 and is distributed on broadcasters including Channel 5, Super RTL, Frisbee and France Télévisions. In January 2024, we launched an Oggy Oggy activity book and storybook with Hachette, alongside a Tonie toy with the popular toybox company Tonies. Xilam is targeting new partners across games, gifting and apparel.

Where’s Chicky? is a short-form comedy produced by Xilam’s Cube Creative, with an impressive YouTube presence and rapidly expanding linear and SVOD platforms line-up. We are looking for plush, toys and games, educational apps and accessories partners.