Belgian prodco Vivi Film has partnered with Paris-based Dandelooo to co-produce and co-finance the French producer/distributor’s latest project.

A 2D-animated adventure-romance series for eight- to 12-year-olds, The Upside Down River will begin production at the end of the year, with delivery slated for mid-2023. Its serialized nine x 26-minute story follows a young girl on a quest to find water that will heal her sacred bird. Directed by Paul Leluc (The Wolf), the show is based on a children’s novel of the same name by Jean Claude Mourlevat that has sold more than a million copies worldwide. An English version of the book it set to be published by Andersen Press next year.

Dandelooo’s Ooolala animation studio is producing The Upside Down River in collaboration with Canal+ Family, which commissioned the series in 2019 prior to the project’s selection at Cartoon Forum 2020. Dandelooo will handle international distribution.

Vivi Film and Dandelooo have not outlined their work split on the production itself, but Dandelooo will handle international distribution.

Vivi Film is best known for its service work on Oscar-nominated animated films The Secret of Kells and The Triplets of Belleville. In 2016, it formed a sister animation prodco called Studio Souza to tackle more European co-pros, including shorts, series and movies.