Best Animation Studios in Paris (2026)

Introduction

Paris is the centre of Europe’s largest animation industry, and the 11 studios below cover its range: feature studios working for Hollywood, independent producers of auteur films, series studios, and smaller shops making commercials, music videos and game cinematics.

French animation had a strong 2026. The CNC counted 17 French features at the Annecy festival in June, including six of the 11 films in the official competition for the Cristal. Illumination Studios Paris animated two of the year’s biggest releases, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie and Minions & Monsters. The sector also went through some restructuring: TeamTO came out of insolvency under Italy’s Riva Studios, and Xilam described 2025 as a transitional year before a heavier slate of its own productions. Many studios split work between Paris and regional sites such as Angoulême, Montpellier and Valence, helped by France’s production tax credits.

Every studio here has an active Paris studio or office in 2026. The list runs in no fixed order of merit, since the right choice depends on format, style and budget.

The best animation studios in Paris

1. Illumination Studios Paris

Owned by Illumination (Universal) · Paris · illumination.com

Illumination Studios Paris began in 2011, when Universal bought the animation arm of the French company Mac Guff. It worked as Illumination Mac Guff until 2021 and has animated most of Illumination’s features since The Lorax in 2012.

Its 2026 slate included The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, co-directed by Pierre Leduc and Fabien Polack, and Minions & Monsters, directed by Pierre Coffin. Not Alone is scheduled for April 2027. The studio works on Illumination’s own features, so it is a reference point for the local talent market more than a supplier for outside briefs.

2. Fortiche

Independent, with a Riot Games minority stake · 13th arrondissement · forticheprod.com

Fortiche made Arcane for Riot Games and Netflix. Season 2 won three Primetime Emmy Awards and six Annie Awards in 2025, and Riot holds a significant non-controlling stake in the studio. Production runs across Paris, Montpellier and Las Palmas, with the company based on Avenue de France.

Recent work includes the League of Legends cinematic “Twilight’s End”, selected for the game cinematics competition at Annecy 2026, and an animated teaser for Valorant with the creator Inoxtag. Its own projects include the feature Penelope of Sparta and the series Miss Saturne, pitched at Cartoon Next 2026.

3. Xilam

Listed on Euronext Growth Paris · Paris · xilam.com

Xilam is the studio behind Oggy and the Cockroaches, Zig & Sharko and the Oscar-nominated feature I Lost My Body. It has more than 400 staff across Paris, Angoulême and Ho Chi Minh City, and in 2025 it shifted towards its own productions, which made up 80% of revenue.

Its feature Lucy Lost competed for the Cristal at Annecy 2026 and is due for release late in the year. New series include Turbo Twins for TF1 and Chickies for France Télévisions, alongside further seasons of Oggy and Zig & Sharko. The studio also produced a Chip ‘n’ Dale series for Disney+.

4. TeamTO

Owned by Riva Studios · 11th arrondissement · teamto.com

TeamTO is a CG series studio with headquarters on Rue de la Pierre Levée and a large production site in Valence. Riva Studios bought it out of insolvency in December 2024, and Marco Balsamo became chief executive in February 2025. The studio kept both sites and most of its staff.

Current series include The Creature Cases for Sony Pictures Television, which earned a 2026 Children’s and Family Emmy nomination for editing, and Angelo Rules. At Annecy 2026 it announced Tetris: World Builders with The Tetris Company and a Creator Lab for original IP, and it launched TeamTOKO, an anime-inspired division, during the year.

5. Studio La Cachette

Founder-led · Paris · studiolacachette.com

Studio La Cachette is a small 2D studio that has built a following through work for Genndy Tartakovsky, animating all three seasons of Primal for Adult Swim and Unicorn: Warriors Eternal. It also contributed to Love, Death + Robots and Star Wars: Visions, with co-founder Julien Chheng directing “The Spy Dancer”.

Its first feature, Mu Yi, directed by Chheng, screened in the Contrechamp competition at Annecy 2026. The studio suits projects that need hand-drawn action animation at a high finish.

6. Folivari

Independent · Paris · folivari.com

Folivari develops and produces features, series and shorts, and sells a catalogue of premium series through Folivari International. Its 2D studio, FOST, opened in 2018 with sites in Paris and Angoulême and handles everything from design and storyboard to compositing.

FOST has worked on Wolfwalkers, The Summit of the Gods and the series Stinky Dog. Folivari co-produced Sébastien Laudenbach’s Carmen, l’oiseau rebelle, one of the French films in the official competition at Annecy 2026.

7. Miyu Productions

Independent · Canal Saint-Martin · miyu.fr

Miyu Productions was founded in 2009 and has a reputation for demanding, author-led animation. Its catalogue includes Flora Anna Buda’s short 27 and the feature Linda veut du poulet ! by Chiara Malta and Sébastien Laudenbach.

The company works from rue d’Enghien in the 10th arrondissement and produces shorts, features, TV and music videos. In 2026 it was a co-producer on Kohei Kadowaki’s We Are Aliens, which competed in the official selection at Annecy.

8. Superprod

Independent · Paris · superprod.net

Superprod develops and produces animated and live-action series and feature films, with its own animation studios in Paris and Angoulême and an office in Los Angeles.

Its feature Le Dossier de l’aube, directed by Rupert Wyatt and Émilie Phuong and co-produced with Mélusine Productions, was in the official competition at Annecy 2026. The company is a good fit for producers looking for a French co-production partner with in-house capacity.

9. Passion Paris

Part of Passion Pictures · Canal Saint-Martin · passion-pictures.com

Passion Paris is the French sister company of London’s Passion Pictures, founded in 2004 by Andrew Ruhemann, Marc Bodin-Joyeux and Pierre Coffin. It represents French directors and designers for commercials and long-form work, and in 2024 it opened a creative studio on quai de Jemmapes under managing director Caroline Audebert.

The studio works in 2D, CG, stop-frame and mixed media for commercials, series, features and game cinematics. Recent projects include season four of LEGO Friends and the shorts Moonlit Bamboo Forest and Please. Brands can tap the wider Passion network for larger campaigns.

10. Bobbypills

Independent · Paris · bobbypills.com

Bobbypills is an adult animation studio with offices in Paris and Angoulême. Its originals include Peepoodo, Vermin and Jim Queen, and it animated Captain Laserhawk for Netflix and Ubisoft.

The studio also takes collaborations for games and other studios, including trailers for Windblown and Ravenswatch and work on DC’s Creature Commandos. It is a natural choice for irreverent comedy and bold, graphic styles.

11. Unit Image

Founder-led · Paris · unit-image.fr

Unit Image is a high-end CG studio run by its four co-founders, Léon Berelle, Dominique Boidin, Rémi Kozyra and Maxime Luère. It makes full-CGI game trailers, commercials and film work from pitch to post-production.

Its credits include cinematics for Elden Ring, Baldur’s Gate 3, Far Cry 6 and Beyond Good & Evil 2, work on Love, Death + Robots, and commercials for Peugeot and Disneyland Paris. Game publishers make up much of the client list.

What to look for in a Paris animation studio

Match the studio to the format first. Feature and series studios such as Xilam, TeamTO and Folivari are set up for long schedules, co-production finance and broadcaster delivery. Commercial and cinematic shops such as Passion Paris, Unit Image and Bobbypills turn work around faster and are used to agency approval rounds.

Ask where the work will be made. Many Paris studios keep development and direction in the city and run production in Angoulême, Valence, Montpellier or abroad. That can help with budgets and French tax credits, but it changes who you speak to day to day and how reviews are scheduled.

Look closely at style and pipeline. A studio built around hand-drawn 2D, such as Studio La Cachette or FOST, works differently from a CG studio with its own rigging tools. Ask to see work at a similar length and finish to yours, and ask who directed it and whether they are still at the studio.

Finally, agree how files, reviews and approvals will run before animation starts. Animation projects move through boards, animatics, layouts and many rounds of renders, and feedback scattered across email, chat and transfer links slows each stage. A single place for the latest versions and a clear approval record make the schedule easier to hold.

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Frequently asked questions

What is the best animation studio in Paris?

It depends on the project. For feature work, Illumination Studios Paris animated two of 2026’s biggest releases, and Fortiche’s Arcane won three Emmys and six Annies in 2025. For independent features, Folivari, Miyu Productions, Xilam and Superprod all had films in the official competition at Annecy 2026.

Which Paris studios make animated commercials?

Passion Paris, Unit Image and Bobbypills all take commercial and brand work, and Fortiche makes music videos and game cinematics alongside its series. For live-action commercials with animated elements, see the best video production companies in Paris.

What happened to TeamTO?

TeamTO went into insolvency in 2024, and the Paris commercial court approved Riva Studios’ bid for the company in December that year. TeamTO kept its Paris headquarters and its Valence studio, and Marco Balsamo became chief executive in February 2025.

Do Paris animation studios work on 2D or 3D?

Both. Studio La Cachette, Folivari’s FOST studio and Bobbypills focus on 2D, while Illumination Studios Paris, TeamTO and Unit Image work in CG. Fortiche and Passion Paris work across styles, and Passion Paris also offers stop-frame and mixed media.

Why do many Paris studios also have sites in Angoulême or Valence?

France has a regional animation network supported by tax credits and local funding, and several studios run production outside Paris while keeping development and direction in the city. Xilam, Superprod, Bobbypills and FOST all have Angoulême sites, and TeamTO has a large studio in Valence.

Related lists

Animation studios in other cities: New York · London · Los Angeles · Toronto · Chicago

More in Paris: Creative agencies · VFX · Post-production · Sound design · Video production · Content studios

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