CinéGroupe is a Canadian animation studio based in Montreal, Quebec. The company was founded in 1974.[1] Its shows and films have been seen in over 125 countries.[1]
Quick Facts Industry, Founded ...
CinéGroupe |
| Industry | Animation |
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| Founded | 1974; 50 years ago (1974) |
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| Founder | Jacques Pettigrew |
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| Headquarters | Montreal, Quebec, Canada |
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Key people | Jacques Pettigrew (President, CEO)
Michel Lemire (Creative Director)
Christian Garcia (CGI Supervisor) |
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| Owner | Jacques Pettigrew |
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| Parent | Lionsgate (1998–2002, minority stake) |
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Notable franchises from CinéGroupe include: What's with Andy?, The Kids from Room 402, and Pig City (all aired on Fox Family, now known as Freeform); the computer-animated Tripping the Rift (Sci Fi, now known as Syfy); and PBS' Sagwa, the Chinese Siamese Cat. With Sony Wonder, it has produced Mega Babies (also aired on Fox Family), as well as a direct-to-video feature, Lion of Oz (a prequel to both the L. Frank Baum work, and the 1939 movie).
In the 2000s, the company produced the animation for a sequel to the 1981 cult classic Heavy Metal for Columbia TriStar Home Video titled Heavy Metal 2000,[2] premiered on Starz in the United States and on Teletoon in Canada from 2001 onwards. In 2004, it made Pinocchio 3000, a sci-fi retelling of the Italian tale.[3] Galidor, a live-action fantasy series for teenagers, has also been produced by the company. The company also cooperated with the toy maker MGA Entertainment in the creation of Bratz: Starrin' and Stylin', a 2D-animated direct-to-video film based on MGA's Bratz line of fashion dolls.
In August 1998, it was announced that Fox Family Worldwide would purchase a 20% minority stake in the company although CinéGroupe would still be a subsidiary of Lions Gate Entertainment, which owned 40% of the studio.[4][5]
In January 2001, the studio formed a production and distribution joint-venture with Telescene, with the first production under it being the third series of Big Wolf on Campus. CinéGroupe would hold an 80% stake while Telescene would hold 20%.[6] In July 2001, Lions Gate's ownership of the studio was confirmed to have been reduced to 30%, with Lions Gate president Andre Link having 50% of its voting stock, leading to the studio being a partner of Lions Gate instead of a subsidiary.[7] In September 2001, the company formed a division called CinéGroupe Image to expand to live-action programming.[8]
In October 2002, the company united with the music label Les Disques Star Records Inc. to create a home video distributor called CinéGroupe Star.[9] The partnership ended in January 2004.[citation needed] In November 2002, the company announced that it would produce a Britney Spears cartoon.[10]
By December 2003, Lions Gate Entertainment's stake in the studio was reduced further to 29.4%.[11]
In January 2004, the CinéGroupe Star joint-venture with Star Records was folded. in the month, the studio filed for a protection order from its creditors with the Quebec Superior Court.[12]
In 2018, CinéGroupe co-produced Tshakapesh, a 2D-animated series based on an Innu legend, which has aired on APTN and Radio-Canada. Two edutainment IPs are currently being developed by CinéGroupe, aiming at raising awareness about water preservation and environmental protection. CinéGroupe is also viewing revivals and revitalization of their old properties.
CinéGroupe is currently partnered with HG Distribution (Henry Gagnon Distribution) for the distribution of its library.[13] However, only a portion of CinéGroupe's catalogue is listed for distribution by HG. Several notable titles such as Bad Dog, Daft Planet, and The Tofus are not listed,[14] as are live-action series, such as Big Wolf on Campus.[15]
