Germany’s Leonine Holding is doubling down in the animation sector with the launch of a new joint-venture with Munich-based Toon2Tango called Leonine Animation Studios. 

Leonine will increase its ownership position in Toon2Tango from the 25.1% stake it purchased in October 2022 to 50% on January 1, and T2T now becomes wholly owned subsidiary of Leonine Animation Studios. Founders Hans Ulrich Stoef and Jo Daris will each hang onto a 25% stake in the company for now, but Leonine can exercise an option to acquire a controlling majority share in 2025.

Leonine Animation Studios will focus on the development, production and acquisition of new IPs with global potential, as well as “selective M&A activities in the animation sector,” according to a release. Leonine’s chief distribution officer Bernhard zu Castell will run the studio in tandem with Stoef and Daris.

On its initial slate are several upcoming projects started by Toon2Tango, such as CG-animated feature film Santa.com (slated for a 2025 release in Germany), a small-screen spinoff of the Niko movie franchise, Cartoon Forum 2023 entry Littlest Robot and preschool toon Hey Fuzzy Yellow, which is now in production.

Leonine has experience with German-market kids titles like 2021’s live-action/CG-animated film School of Magical Animals, but the company’s global animation successes have stemmed from its investment in Toon2Tango—completing and selling series such as Agent 203 and Monster Loving Maniacs worldwide, for example.

Pictured: Hans Ulrich Stoef, Bernhard zu Castell, Jo Daris (Image courtesy of Leonine Studios)