The animated children's series Belfort & Lupin, created by T.J. Stehly, produced by Ellipse animation, and distributed by Mediatoon Distribution, features the humorous adventures of a dog and a wolf in the heart of the court of Versailles.
Morgann Favennec, Deputy Managing Director of Mediatoon Distribution, tells us more about the artistic team behind the project, and the international appeal of this new series launched at the Unifrance Rendez-Vous in Le Havre. She also discusses the challenges of digital distribution in bringing the programs to the widest possible range of audiences.
Unifrance: Belfort & Lupin is an original creation, how did this animated children's series set in the court of Versailles come about?
Morgann Favennec: Belfort & Lupin is a series brought to life by the formidable T.J. Stehly, screenwriter and writing director of such successful series as Calimero and Barbapapa. Teddy spent his entire childhood near the Château and gardens of Versailles, which he visited almost every week! His imagination soon led him to imagine the history of the royal palace from the animals' point of view. Combined with the artistic direction of Justine Cunha (Dans les yeux de Lya) and the direction of Philippe Vidal (Garfield), the three artists developed this extraordinary universe, abundant with fascinating characters, which we were delighted to present at the Unifrance Rendez-Vous in Le Havre.
What's the pitch for the series, in a few lines?
MF: Belfort & Lupin (26x22’) follows the comic adventures of the duo of an aristocratic dog who's lost his sense of smell and a wolf as casual as he is instinctive, both surrounded by the exotic animals of the 17th-century royal court. Each episode is packed with true-life details and surprisingly authentic anecdotes!
The series will start being delivered at the end of the year.
What are its unique features that will appeal to international audiences?
MF: Cunha's inventive art direction and original storytelling, combined with Vidal's sense of humor, give the project a very international comedic ambition.
Belfort & Lupin also embodies values that resonate with the expectations of audiences worldwide. The series conveys notions of diversity, difference, and inclusion, while tackling themes of identity and belonging, viscerally anchored in the hearts and minds of all children.
Last but not least, for history buffs, each episode is accompanied by a one-minute video clip focusing on an anecdote mentioned in the episode. We discover, for example, that a little mouse took up residence in Marie-Antoinette's wig, or that a chef was given the sole task of cooking for the king's dogs.
You've already convinced several international broadcasters. Can you tell us about them?
MF: Commissioned by France Télévisions, the series will be broadcast in several territories in Europe and beyond, with long-standing partners such as Germany (SWR), Belgium (VRT, RTBF), Switzerland (RTS), Hungary (MTVA), as well as Canada (Radio-Canada), and TV5Monde. We're very confident that the Le Havre Rendez-Vous will be an excellent platform for raising awareness among partners in other territories.
The series is produced by Ellipse animation and distributed by Mediatoon Distribution, part of the same group. What synergies does this allow you to achieve?
MF: Production and distribution in animation are almost symbiotic. We are fortunate to have these two activities within the same group, Média Participations, which enables us to combine the strength of agile production with international expertise. On a day-to-day basis, working from the same premises enables us to collaborate exceptionally well, with regular and effective exchanges.
Média Participations has become one of Europe's entertainment giants. From its origins in publishing, the group now offers a comprehensive ecosystem ranging from video games and webtoons to the SVOD platform ADN and Parc Spirou! It's a unique opportunity to benefit from so much expertise and cross-functionality within a single group.
Mediatoon is also involved in digital distribution activities. Can you tell us more about these?
MF: We're proud to have been one of the first French players to see digital as a means of developing not only revenues, but also brands, in total complementarity with traditional operations. Today, Mediatoon generates over a billion views a year! The team, fully involved in a program's multiplatform and multi-territory strategy, now manages over 200 channels across all media.
What are your ambitions and objectives for this digital distribution activity?
MF: We have a number of objectives. First of all, we intend to consolidate our links with long-standing partners such as Bayard, and open the door to new collaborations. In fact, although our catalog is already very extensive, we're always ready to listen and support any project that complements our existing range. Discussions can cover global or purely digital distribution.
Our ambition remains to pursue our diversification and multiply our modes of distribution in order to address the widest possible range of audiences.
As for Ellipse Animation, in addition to the series currently in pre-production or production (Les Schtroumpfs - Season 3, Trotro & Zaza, Dreamland), we have a dozen projects in development. At the same time, with our South Korean partner KENAZ, we are launching a Webtoon Academy at our Angoulême studio to continue our breakthrough in this field.
