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Ahead of what is turning out as a must-attend Work in Progress session at the Annecy Animation Film Festival, Academy Award-nominated French animation powerhouse Xilam Films has shared major updates on its upcoming
adult-targeted psychological thriller “The Wolf”, confirming as well that the film is greenlit, starting production soon with an expected April 2027 delivery.
An animated feature adaptation of the eponymous graphic novel from best-selling author Jean-Marc Rochette (‘Snowpiercer’), the feature is co-written and directed by Benjamin Massoubre and Fursy Tessier, who previously collaborated on Xilam’s 2020 Academy Award-nominated feature “I Lost My Body”, with Sabine Dabadie also serving as co-writer.
Produced by French animation veteran Marc du Pontavice, and co-produced by Lilian Eche for Bidibul Productions (Luxemburg), “The Wolf” has been picked up by Goodfellas for international sales and ARP for theatrical distribution in France. Additionally, the international platform Crunchyroll has pre-bought worldwide SVOD rights (excl. China and Japan), marking a significant first step towards European author-driven animation for the streamer, beyond French-produced anime and international co-productions.
Ahead of Annecy, Xilam also unveiled the feature’s voice cast, led by the César Award winner Roschdy Zem (“Days of Glory,” “Chocolat”) alongside Cannes Film Festival 2026 shared ‘Best Actress’ winner Virginie Efira (“All of A Sudden,” “Elle”).
Set in the heart of the Alps, “The Wolf” follows Gaspard (Roschdy Zem), a hardened shepherd who is haunted by the loss of his son and leads a solitary life with his flock. When a wandering wolf threatens his fragile peace and slaughters his flock, Gaspard, blinded by rage, embarks on a perilous quest for vengeance — one that will lead him to the farthest reaches of his sorrow and guilt.
“Jean-Marc Rochette’s ‘The Wolf’ offers a rare combination of dramatic force with remarkable thematic depth,” says Marc du Pontavice, founder, and CEO at Xilam. A complexity that suits the co-directors duo perfectly, according to the veteran producer. “Since working together on ‘I Lost My Body,’ I’ve been continually impressed by Benjamin Massoubre and Fursy Tessier’s masterful storytelling and bold creative vision – now with ‘The Wolf,’ they’re crafting a gripping cinematic experience, while using groundbreaking techniques to blur the boundaries between animation and live-action.”
Beyond this announcement, 2026 is a a definite watershed moment for Xilam Films. The studio, founded in 1999, is heading to Annecy with a wave of activity across its features and series slate, with Cannes sweetheart title “Lucy Lost” (which is part of the Official Competition in Annecy), the Disney+ series “The Doomies,” and the French premiere of its original 2D animated series “Submarine Jim”.
“Annecy 2026 will mark a historic milestone for Xilam as we introduce an unprecedented slate of varied and ambitious mix of projects at Annecy,” underlines du Pontavice. “We’re thrilled to be showcasing our work across all areas of the festival’s programme and highlighting our creative strength and resilience during a time of continued industry-wide challenges. This breakthrough across both our film and TV pipelines is testament to our commitment to creating and supporting striking and original content.”
“Lucy Lost” is co-written and directed by Olivier Clert (“Klaus,” “Little Prince”), and is co-written with Helen Blakeman (“Dustbin Baby”, “Hetty Feather”). The feature was produced at Xilam’s animation studio, with Goodfellas handling international sales. French broadcasters Canal+ and Ciné+ OCS previously acquired pay-TV rights, while Le Pacte is set to bring the film in French theaters on October 28.
Following a successful work in progress session in 2024, supernatural horror comedy series “The Doomies” will screen in the TV Films category. Produced by Xilam in association with Disney Television Animation, the series is created by Rémi Zaarour, Andrès Fernandez, Henry Gifford and directed by Andrès Fernandez. Disney+ premieres the show during the Annecy festival on June 26, with 22 half-hour episodes, along with a new short-form 4-episodes spin-off series.
Rounding out Xilam’s TV activity, original 2D series “Submarine Jim” is premiering in France on June 24, with the first 26 episodes launching on Okoo, France Télévisions’ platform for kids. The series launched this year in the UK & Ireland on CBBC & iPlayer, in Switzerland on RTS and on Cartoon Network in Latin America and South East Asia. Upcoming launches also includes Super RTL in Germany who commissioned the series with France Télévision, RTBF and VRT (Belgium), NPO (Netherlands), YLE (Finland), NRK (Norway) and more.
A major player in the French animation industry, Xilam employs more than 400 individuals across its studios in Paris, Angoulême in France and Ho Chi Minh in Vietnam. According to the company, Xilam was ranked France’s leading animation studio for the 2018-2023 period in a report by the French National Centre for Cinema and Animation (CNC).
