Apr 6, 2019

STX gets US rights to Lino DiSalvo's "Playmobil: The Movie" ahead of the Annecy premiere

STX Films has acquired U.S. distribution rights to On Animation's Playmobil: The Movie, ahead of the film's upcoming world premiere at the Annecy animation festival on June 10.

The now-defunct Open Road Films previously held U.S. rights. In 2018, Open Road's parent company Global Road filed for bankruptcy and was sold to Raven Capital Management, leaving Playmobil: The Movie in limbo for stateside release.

Playmobil is based on the German toyline, and was produced by On Animation's studio in Montreal, Canada, which is part of the Paris-based company On Kids & Family. The film marks the directorial debut of Lino DiSalvo, who worked at Disney for 16 years, most notably as head of animation on Frozen. DiSalvo directed from a screenplay by Blaise Hemingway, Greg Erb, and Jason Oremland. The voice cast includes Daniel Radcliffe, Meghan Trainor, Kenan Thompson, Adam Lambert, Jim Gaffigan, Anya Taylor Joy, and Gabriel Bateman.

Jordan Lichtman and Carolyn Steinmetz negotiated the deal on behalf of STX, with Rodolphe Buet representing On Kids & Family. Playmobil: The Movie joins STX's other animated release based on a toyline this year, Uglydolls, scheduled to open May 3.

“Rodolphe Buet and I are very excited to partner with Adam [Fogelson] and his team at STX to enable American audiences to discover this great movie full of surprises, inventive comedy, and memorable songs,” Aton Soumache, chairman of On Animation Studios, said in a statement. “The iconic Playmobil brand's endless storytelling, roleplay and world-building possibilities have been an inexhaustible source of inspiration and creativity for Lino DiSalvo, one of the greatest animation talents alive, who brought us his experience and delivered an amazing adventure which will appeal to everyone, everywhere.”

STX will release the film in the U.S. at a yet-to-be-announced date later this year. Playmobil: The Movie will begin its international rollout via Studiocanal in France, U.K., Germany, and other European countries starting this August.