Australian Animation Studio Secures Seven-Film Deal Worth 1,000 Jobs

Like a Photon Creative, the Australian studio behind “The Pout-Pout Fish,” secured international distribution rights for seven new animated features from Sola Media. The agreement marks a major expansion for the company, which has produced 10 animated features since 2017. Production financing for the slate is provided by Elevate Production Finance and Alceon Entertainment Partners. Maslow Entertainment holds the distribution rights for Australia and New Zealand.

The companies stated that the new lineup could create up to 1,000 jobs across Australia and Ireland. Kristen Souvlis, the studio’s CEO, will represent the company at the upcoming American Film Market. The first title in the sequence is “Familiar,” an original project developed in-house. This film will be produced as a treaty co-production with the Irish company Elephant Goldfish. Production is scheduled to begin in March 2027.

“Familiar” takes place at Ironclaw Academy, a school for familiars, which are the animal companions of sorcerers. The story follows Josie, a young cat, as she navigates a demanding and often chaotic training regime. The studio has not yet revealed the titles for the remaining six features in the pipeline.

Souvlis noted that families return to the studio’s films because of strong stories and broad appeal. She stated that the partnership with Sola Media offers a real opportunity to bring Australian and European content to international audiences. Sola Media has previously handled the international release of the studio’s work, including “The Pout-Pout Fish.”

The deal includes a strategy for short-form content. The studio will produce direct-to-consumer material using footage that does not appear in the theatrical releases. This content will be bundled with the movies and distributed across online and social platforms. The goal is to build brand awareness before the films reach cinemas.

The new slate follows the success of “The Pout-Pout Fish,” which was adapted from a children’s book series. The film opened at number 9 at the U.S. box office. It currently ranks as the fourth highest-grossing Australian film of 2026. The title also reached number 1 on Amazon Prime Kids and number 6 among all Prime viewers. Maslow released the film in Australian cinemas on January 1, while Viva Kids handled the U.S. release on March 20.

Sola Media will also distribute the studio’s next release, “The Neverending Pillow Fort.” This is the first feature from Crayola Studios, produced with MIMO Studios. Allison Brownmoore directs the film, which is due for release in early 2027. The voice cast includes Elizabeth Cullen, Sofia Rose, Guy Pearce, David Tennant, Teresa Palmer, and Marsai Martin.

Solveig Langeland, Sola Media’s managing director, said the partnership allows the studio to take a step forward with its Irish co-productions. She noted that the studio’s approach to building brands through direct-to-consumer content adds a new dimension to the slate. Langeland founded Sola Media in 2004. The company operates independently under Langeland and Moritz Peters, even after being acquired by Plaion in 2020.

In a separate initiative, Like a Photon Creative partnered with Screen Queensland on the Escalate: Feature Focus Writers Initiative. Six screenwriters based in Queensland will write scripts for potential 3D animated features. They will work from concepts supplied by the studio. Writers’ rooms are set to begin in February 2027.