Nine European broadcasters, including France Télévisions, the BBC and RAI, have committed to funding the next stage of development of Paris-based studio GO-N Productions’ CG-animated series Elle(s) as part of a European Broadcasting Union (EBU) program that backs one Cartoon Forum project every year.

The coalition has collectively committed more than US$70,000 (EUR€60,000) to the concept for nine- to 12-year-olds, with France TV serving as the lead broadcaster. RTBF, VRT, ARD, DR, YLE and RTE are also participating.

Distinguished as the Cartoon Forum 2025 pitch that attracted the most buyers, Elle(s) is an eight x 30-minute series about a tween who travels into her own mind to battle the bad sides of herself who want to take control. At the September pitchfest, the show’s producers described the concept as an aged-up Inside Out blended with Mean Girls and Heartstopper. It’s an adaptation of a best-selling graphic novel series by Kid Toussaint and Aveline Stokart. Elle(s) has a US$5.9-million budget, and Go-N plans to start production at the end of 2026 for a Q3 2028 delivery.

The aim with the series is to provide kids with a “positive and compassionate vision of adolescence,” GO-N producer Anne de Galard tells Kidscreen.

GO-N Productions presenting Elle(s) at Cartoon Forum. Image from Ryan Tuchow.

The EBU co-development initiative is run by CARTOON (producer of Cartoon Forum), the EBU and France TV, and its goal is to make it easier for broadcasters to team up on projects with international legs. It addresses the reality that financing a series project alone has become very difficult for broadcasters, who are increasingly required to collaborate with each other in order to get content made.

“By joining forces in this way, we are safeguarding a diverse and thriving European animation sector in an increasingly competitive world,” said EBU’s head of television Matthew Trustram.

Each year, participating EBU broadcasters vote on which series concepts presented at Cartoon Forum they want to support. Elle(s) was selected from a field of 75 projects that were pitched this year, standing out from some stiff competition. For its part, GO-N will share more development materials for the project at Cartoon Forum 2026, and then EBU member broadcasters can exercise a first-look option to acquire rights to the series.

This is the fourth project that has been developed through the co-development initiative, following My Life is A Manga (Blue Spirit Studios and Brain Comet, scheduled for an April delivery), Ray & Ruby (Creative Conspiracy) and Pig & Andersen (Fleng Entertainment).