At the beginning of 2025, the animation studio Andarta Pictures, based in Bourg-lès-Valence, was placed under judicial recovery by the Commercial Court of Romans. This decision, formalized on March 26, 2025, followed a cessation of payments dated February 28, 2025 (source: BODACC). The root of this critical situation? A major financial dispute surrounding the production of the series Lana Longuebarbe, co-produced with Zephyr Studios.
As explained by the specialized media 3DVF, the studio accumulated significant debts after the client, Zephyr, terminated the contract and stopped payments, leaving Andarta (responsible for producing 39 episodes with a budget of €2.9 million) without sufficient cash flow to meet its commitments, particularly the salaries of nearly 80 employees. Sophie Saget, founder and director of Andarta, described this period as “the hardest of my entire career,” emphasizing that the studio had advanced over €500,000 of its own funds in an attempt to save the project.
“We did everything possible for the teams. We even offered to pay part of the salaries from our personal funds, despite advice to the contrary from our lawyers and financial director.” — Sophie Saget, founder of Andarta Pictures
The abrupt end of Lana Longuebarbe sent a shockwave through the teams. A collective, nicknamed “La Barbe”, was formed to denounce working conditions and project management. Several employees took the case to the labor court, accusing the studio of disguised layoffs and failure to meet legal obligations.
“We, professionals in film animation, demand the ability to practice our profession under decent conditions. Precariousness and intermittent work must not become weapons used against us.” — Excerpt from the La Barbe collective’s appeal
The collective organized a gathering in Annecy on June 11, 2025, supported by unions such as SPIAC-CGT and Les Étincelles, to raise awareness about sector abuses and the precariousness of intermittent workers. Around 100 to 150 people attended, holding slogans such as “Crisis & abuse: employees have had enough!”.
Ankama to the Rescue: A Strategic Acquisition
In this tense context, Ankama announced on August 11, 2025 the acquisition of a majority stake (51%) in Andarta Pictures. This operation allows the studio to exit judicial recovery and continue its activities, particularly the production of the series La Quête d’Ewilan, adapted from the novels by Pierre Bottero, and to revive the Baïdir project (2012).
Anthony Roux, founder and creative director of Ankama, praised this alliance as an “artistic no-brainer”:
“This union brings together two studios that share the same vision: that of independent, demanding animation that carries meaning. Together, we want to create strong sagas, at the crossroads of adventure and the quest for self.”
Sophie Saget, for her part, expressed her relief:
“After a difficult first half of the year for Andarta Pictures, the entire team is delighted to join the Ankama group! Their trust and support allow us to maintain our ambitions and face the future with serenity.”
This acquisition is not the first collaboration between the two studios. In 2023, Ankama and Andarta had already worked together on the Lance-Dur miniseries, broadcast on ADN and France.tv Slash. This project, halfway between humor and adventure, allowed both teams to test their creative complementarity and lay the groundwork for a more ambitious collaboration.
What Does This Mean for La Quête d’Ewilan?
The series La Quête d’Ewilan, in production for several years, was threatened by Andarta’s financial difficulties. Thanks to the acquisition, its production can continue, with a first season of 8 episodes planned for December 2025 or early 2026, broadcast on France Télévisions, RTBF (Belgium), and RTS (Switzerland).
Ankama and Andarta also plan to co-develop new formats, both around existing licenses (Dofus, Wakfu) and original creations. A creative synergy that could revitalize the French animation sector, as many studios struggle to overcome the crisis.
Among the projects saved by this acquisition, Baïdir holds a special place. This series, imagined as “a modern ecological fable and an animated space opera” for children aged 6-10, was taken over by Andarta Pictures in 2020 after an initial failed attempt at Ankama. The project, led by Slimane Aniss, Thierry Rivière, and Charles Lefebvre, benefited from a successful Kickstarter campaign in 2024, raising €37,602 from 806 backers.
“Baïdir is, for me, the project of a large part of my life, the kind of project you don’t just put away in a drawer.” — Slimane Aniss, co-author and director of Baïdir
With Ankama’s support, Andarta can now (hypothesis) finalize the development of the first 9 episodes and find broadcasters for this ambitious series, which combines space adventure and ecological issues.
This acquisition comes at a time of generalized crisis for French animation, marked by studio closures, mass layoffs, and increased competition. The example of Andarta shows that solutions exist, provided that economic models are rethought and independent studios are supported. This fits perfectly into Ankama’s expansion strategy, which continues to weave a vast creative ecosystem by multiplying its investments in animation studios with diverse profiles. Already strong with its own in-house studio, Ankama Animations, founded in 2007, the company has recently accelerated its investments.
In June 2024, it acquired a minority stake in Inthebox, a 3D and VFX studio based in Annecy, known for works such as The Inventor and Even Mice Belong in Heaven, to optimize its production pipelines and integrate new 3D expertise. That same year, Ankama partnered with veteran Guillaume Dubois to create Studio Unagi in Montreal, pooling resources and paving the way for a more diverse project catalog.
Finally, as early as 2021, Ankama had invested in Mash&Co, an Italian studio specializing in educational and interactive content for children, combining animation, apps, and playful storytelling to develop young children’s emotional skills.
With this partnership, Ankama confirms its ambition to become a major player in animation, while preserving Andarta’s creative identity. For Sophie Saget, the goal is clear:
“Andarta’s goal, Sophie Saget explains to us, is to deliver the Ewilan episodes as planned in the second half of the year, improve cash flow, and above all, generate no new debt.”
A new chapter thus begins for Andarta Pictures. Stay tuned!
Press Release
The Ankama studio, creator of the transmedia universes DOFUS and WAKFU, announces its acquisition of a majority stake (51%) in the capital of Andarta, an independent animation studio based in Valence, recognized for its artistic excellence and its ability to bring visually and narratively powerful stories to the screen.
This capital investment marks Andarta’s official exit from judicial recovery and ensures the continuation of its activities, particularly the completion of the ongoing production of the animated adaptation of La Quête d’Ewilan, based on the work of Pierre Bottero.
“This alliance brings together two studios that share the same vision: that of independent, demanding animation that carries meaning. Together, we want to create strong sagas, at the crossroads of adventure and the quest for self. It is a new chapter, both creative and structuring, that opens with Andarta. An artistic no-brainer, but also a strategic decision focused on the future,” explains Anthony Roux, founder and creative director of Ankama.
A Natural Coming Together of Two Universe Studios
This acquisition marks a deep editorial and artistic convergence. The poetic and fantastical universe of Ewilan thus joins a galaxy of stories already rich, carried by Ankama for over 20 years.
“After a difficult first half of the year for Andarta Pictures, the entire team is delighted to join the Ankama group! Their trust and support allow us to maintain our ambitions and face the future with serenity,” emphasizes Sophie Saget, founder and producer of Andarta studio.
Both entities have already announced their intention to co-develop new formats around existing or original licenses, in a transmedia logic faithful to Ankama’s DNA.
Ewilan as the Flagship
The first project driven by this synergy: the animated adaptation of La Quête d’Ewilan, praised for the quality of its artistic direction and its fidelity to the original work. Ankama’s support opens new perspectives for production, distribution, and narrative development.