Giant Animation opens first international office in Barcelona
Skwigly
Dublin-based independent animation studio, Giant Animation, today announces the opening of its first international office in Barcelona.
In line with Giant’s 15th anniversary this year, the new hub reflects a significant period of growth for the studio, following the production of major projects including The Fairly OddParents: A New Wish! for Nickelodeon and Netflix, where it was the number one Kids show in the US and number six across the platform for which Giant produced all 40 episodes from its Ireland studio. Giant also produced all 10 episodes of animated fantasy series Legends of Evergreen Hills for Chick-Fil-A which is currently being released on its Chick-Fil-A Play app.
The international expansion will look to strengthen and leverage Giant’s partnerships with international production companies. With offices in Spain and Ireland, Giant will continue to offer its work for hire services and will further develop its original and international co-productions across TV and film.
Giant’s exciting slate of original IP projects includes its first CG animated family feature Milo, which tells the story of 10-year-old Will, who, while on vacation in Ireland, runs away with his new best friend—a 10-foot sea monster. Also on its originals slate is the 5-7 bridge series Rachel’s Pet Parlour, following 9-year-old Rachel Hart, a D.I.Y. pet groomer and animal whisperer who uses her empathy and communication skills to connect with her animal friends in her hometown of Barkley.
Giant will continue to develop both projects through 2025, with the view to begin preproduction in 2026.
With the Barcelona studio, Giant is committing to its investment into the Spanish industry. It plans to split production of its upcoming projects across Ireland and Spain, and recruit from the country’s large talent pool of highly skilled artists for its high-end CG productions. The company will also make use of the Spanish Tax Rebate for international production work carried out in the country.
15 years since the launch of Giant, our expansion and the opening of our new hub in Spain marks an important and exciting time for the studio and our team. Building on strong relationships within the industry, we are looking forward to the new opportunities the Spanish office will bring for co-productions and developing our original IP. Our new home will allow us to expand our network of partners, while leveraging both Spanish and Irish production incentives, and incredible talent. We are excited for the road ahead and Spain is the ideal location for us to realise our plans.
-Alex Sherwood, CEO of Giant Animation
The launch of Giant’s international office aligns with its wider initiative to expand its work for hire services, production footprint within Europe and develop its global coproduction model, building coproduction relationships in Spain and across the rest of the world.