Telepool’s Global Screen has picked up family-friendly feature films The Last Whale Singer (pictured above) and The School of Magical Animals 2 to bolster its 2022/2023 slate.

The German distributor will present both features this month at the annual Cannes Film Market, where attendees can purchase pre-sale tickets for The Last Whale Singer and also watch The School of Magical Animals 2‘s first teaser.

The Last Whale Singer tells the story of a rebellious teenage whale named Vincent, who has to learn a mystical song to save all marine life from a monstrous leviathan.

Created by Germany’s Telescope Animation Studios, this pic is one of the first CG-animated films made completely using Epic Games’ Unreal Engine 5 technology, and is expected to premiere in 2023. Telescope’s Maite Woköck and Reza Memari are driving the project as producer and creative director, respectively.

Telescope Animation Studios is gearing up to produce additional content for The Last Whale Singer by 2026, including an adventure game for consoles and an animated action-adventure TV series (26 x 22 minutes).

Based on a children’s book series, The School of Magical Animals 2 is set in the extraordinary school of Winterstein, where each student who enrolls receives a magical companion. This live-action and CG-animated sequel is a follow-up to the highest-grossing German film of 2021.

It’s being co-produced in Germany by Kordes & Kordes Film Sued, Leonine Studios and Lightburst Pictures for a budget of more than US$13 million, and will debut domestically later this year.