Aniventure

Aniventure is a British independent content creation and intellectual-property company headquartered in London, England. The company was established in 2013 under the name Comic Animations, with an initial focus on developing and producing family-oriented feature animation. Rather than operating primarily as a conventional animation service house, Aniventure works with creative, financing, production, and distribution partners to move projects from initial concept and pitch development through production and completion. The company's early activity combined original short-form work with feature-film development. Its first release under the Comic Animations name was Beans, a short animated film produced with Cinesite and released in December 2013. The project became widely viewed online, reportedly exceeding 15 million YouTube views, and received awards recognition. Cinesite subsequently became an important production relationship for Aniventure; the two companies entered a first-look service arrangement covering visual-effects and animation services. In 2014, Comic Animations signed an agreement with 3QU Media to produce four animated features for Vanguard Animation. The resulting slate included Gnome Alone, Charming, Trouble, and Fearless, released between 2017 and 2020. These projects established the company as a partner in commercially oriented family animation and expanded its activity beyond short films. In 2016, Comic Animations began developing an animated feature based on the stage production Riverdance. The project was developed with River Productions and Cinesite and ultimately became Riverdance: The Animated Adventure, released in 2021 after the company had adopted the Aniventure name. Aniventure has also pursued intellectual-property partnerships. In 2017 it entered an arrangement with the estate of silent-film star Harold Lloyd to explore animated content based on Lloyd's work and legacy. The company later joined the production of Klaus, a traditionally animated Christmas feature written and directed by Sergio Pablos. Produced by Pablos's SPA Studios in partnership with Atresmedia Cine and Aniventure, Klaus was distributed by Netflix in 2019. The film became the company's most prominent awards success, winning seven awards at the 47th Annie Awards and Best Animated Film at the 73rd British Academy Film Awards. It was also the first Netflix animated film to receive an Academy Award nomination. Aniventure continued to build a broad family-animation slate during the 2020s. In 2019, its involvement in Blazing Samurai, later retitled Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank, was announced in collaboration with GFM Animation. The project was fully financed and moved into production at Cinesite. In 2020, Aniventure announced the principal voice cast for Hitpig!, an adaptation of Berkeley Breathed's picture book Pete and Pickles. The resulting film was released in 2024. Other projects associated with the Aniventure name include Mila, Cracké Family Scramble, Stitch Head, and the planned Animal Farm adaptation. The company's business model remains centered on assembling creative and production partnerships around animated feature concepts and related intellectual property.

Aniventure was established in London in 2013 as Comic Animations, an independent company created to develop family-oriented feature animation and related intellectual property. Its operating model has been partnership-led: the company originates or acquires concepts, develops projects with rights holders and creative teams, and works with animation and visual-effects providers through production and completion. This approach has enabled Aniventure to participate in projects of different origins, including original concepts, literary adaptations, stage-to-screen projects, and properties associated with established entertainment figures. The company's first released work was Beans, produced with Cinesite and issued in December 2013. As a short animated film, Beans provided an early demonstration of the company's ability to work with an external animation partner and to distribute content digitally. The film accumulated more than 15 million YouTube views and received awards recognition. The relationship with Cinesite developed into a first-look service arrangement, giving Aniventure access to a major animation and visual-effects production partner for subsequent projects. In 2014, Comic Animations signed a deal with 3QU Media to produce four films for Vanguard Animation. The resulting feature slate included Gnome Alone, released in 2017, followed by Charming in 2018, Trouble in 2019, and Fearless in 2020. These releases expanded the company's activity into feature-length family entertainment and demonstrated its role as a production and development partner rather than a studio defined by a single in-house franchise. The company began developing an animated feature based on Riverdance in February 2016. The project was created in association with River Productions and Cinesite and adapted the Irish stage show's musical and dance identity into a family animated adventure. By the time the film was completed and released as Riverdance: The Animated Adventure in 2021, Comic Animations had changed its name to Aniventure. The rebranding reflected the company's broader interest in animation, content creation, and intellectual-property development. Aniventure also broadened its rights-based strategy in 2017 through a partnership with the Harold Lloyd estate. The agreement concerned the development of animated content based on Harold Lloyd-related material, linking a historic screen property with contemporary family animation. The company's most acclaimed project during this period was Klaus. Written and directed by Sergio Pablos, the film was produced by SPA Studios in partnership with Atresmedia Cine and Aniventure and distributed by Netflix in 2019. Klaus's traditionally animated visual style and holiday setting helped it achieve significant critical and industry recognition. It won seven awards at the 47th Annie Awards and Best Animated Film at the 73rd British Academy Film Awards. It was also the first animated Netflix film to receive an Academy Award nomination. In November 2019, Aniventure's participation in Blazing Samurai was announced at the American Film Market. The project, later renamed Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank, was made with GFM Animation, was reported as fully financed, and entered production at Cinesite. The film was loosely inspired by the 1974 comedy Blazing Saddles and continued Aniventure's practice of combining recognizable creative references with family-oriented animation. During 2020, Aniventure presented the voice cast for Hitpig!, based on Berkeley Breathed's picture book Pete and Pickles. Jason Sudeikis and Lilly Singh were announced in leading roles, and the film was ultimately released in 2024. The company's broader credits also include Mila, Cracké Family Scramble, Stitch Head, and the planned Animal Farm project. Across these productions, Aniventure has remained an independent, internationally oriented animation company whose principal asset is its ability to assemble creative, financing, rights, distribution, and production relationships around feature-film concepts.

• 2024

  Hitpig! released

  [1]Aniventureen.wikipedia.org

  The Berkeley Breathed adaptation Hitpig! was released after its voice cast had been announced in 2020.

• 2022

  Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank released

  [1]Aniventureen.wikipedia.org

  The animated feature formerly known as Blazing Samurai reached release under its final title.

• 2021

  Riverdance: The Animated Adventure released

  [1]Aniventureen.wikipedia.org

  The animated feature based on the stage production Riverdance was released under the Aniventure name.

• 2019

  Klaus released

  [1]Aniventureen.wikipedia.org

  Klaus was released through Netflix and later received major Annie and BAFTA recognition.

• 2019

  Paws of Fury project enters production

  [1]Aniventureen.wikipedia.org

  The project then known as Blazing Samurai was announced as fully financed and entering production at Cinesite.

• 2017

  Harold Lloyd estate partnership

  [1]Aniventureen.wikipedia.org

  The company partnered with the Harold Lloyd estate on animated content based on the comedian's legacy.

• 2016

  Riverdance feature development begins

  [1]Aniventureen.wikipedia.org

  Development began on an animated adaptation of Riverdance with River Productions and Cinesite.

• 2014

  Four-film Vanguard Animation agreement

  [1]Aniventureen.wikipedia.org

  Comic Animations signed a 3QU Media agreement to produce four films for Vanguard Animation.

• 2013

  Company established as Comic Animations

  [1]Aniventureen.wikipedia.org

  The London-based company was established to develop and produce family-oriented feature animation.

• 2013

  Beans released

  [1]Aniventureen.wikipedia.org

  The company's first release, made with Cinesite, became a widely viewed and award-recognized animated short.

Aniventure positions itself as an independent animation and intellectual-property development company that collaborates with specialist studios, rights holders, financiers, and distributors. Its slate emphasizes family entertainment, literary and stage adaptations, recognizable character properties, and internationally marketable animated features.

• Animated short film · 2013

  Beans

  Aniventure's first released project, produced under the Comic Animations name in association with Cinesite. Released in December 2013, the short became particularly notable for its online reach, surpassing 15 million YouTube views according to the referenced account, and for receiving awards recognition.

• Animated feature film · 2017

  Gnome Alone

  One of the four feature projects connected with Comic Animations' agreement with 3QU Media and Vanguard Animation. The family-oriented animated film was released in 2017 and formed part of the company's early expansion from short-form production into commercial feature animation.

• Animated feature film · 2018

  Charming

  A family animated feature produced within the Vanguard Animation slate associated with Comic Animations. It was released in 2018 and continued the company's early focus on accessible, internationally marketable feature-length animation.

• Animated feature film · 2019

  Trouble

  A 2019 animated feature produced under the Comic Animations identity and associated with the company's 3QU Media and Vanguard Animation arrangement. The film belongs to Aniventure's family-entertainment production slate.

• Animated feature film · 2019

  Klaus

  A traditionally animated Christmas adventure written and directed by Sergio Pablos. Produced by SPA Studios with Atresmedia Cine and Aniventure, and distributed by Netflix, Klaus became Aniventure's most decorated project, winning seven Annie Awards and the BAFTA for Best Animated Film.

• Animated feature film · 2020

  Fearless

  The fourth feature associated with the 3QU Media and Vanguard Animation production arrangement. Released in 2020, it was produced under the Comic Animations name and concluded the four-film slate identified in the referenced material.

• Animated feature film · 2021

  Riverdance: The Animated Adventure

  An animated adaptation of the Riverdance stage production, developed with River Productions and Cinesite. The project began development in 2016 and was released in 2021, by which time the producer had changed its name from Comic Animations to Aniventure.

• Animated film · 2021

  Mila

  An animated project credited to Aniventure and associated with the company's 2021 production output. The referenced material identifies the title but does not provide further details about its plot, format, or distribution.

• Animated feature film · 2022

  Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank

  Formerly announced as Blazing Samurai, this animated feature was developed with GFM Animation and entered production at Cinesite. It was described as loosely inspired by Blazing Saddles and was released under its final title in 2022.

• Animated series or project · 2022

  Cracké Family Scramble

  A title listed among Aniventure's productions from 2022 onward. The supplied reference identifies it as an ongoing project or production but does not provide detailed information about its format, characters, or distribution.

• Animated feature film · 2024

  Hitpig!

  An animated adaptation of Berkeley Breathed's picture book Pete and Pickles. Aniventure revealed its voice cast in 2020, with Jason Sudeikis and Lilly Singh in leading roles, and the film was released in 2024.

• Animated feature film · 2025

  Stitch Head

  An animated feature listed among Aniventure's productions. The supplied reference identifies a planned or scheduled 2025 release but provides no further production or distribution details.

• Animated feature film · 2026

  Animal Farm

  An animated feature listed in Aniventure's production credits with a planned 2026 release. The supplied material does not specify the adaptation's creative team, production partners, or distribution arrangements.

• 2019

  Advance Blazing Samurai into productionProduct launch

  Background

  Aniventure and GFM Animation announced the project at the American Film Market after it had secured full financing.

  Action taken

  The companies moved the animated feature into production at Cinesite; it was later renamed Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank.

  Aftermath

  The film was released in 2022, extending Aniventure's feature slate into a comedy adventure loosely inspired by Blazing Saddles.

  Source

• 2016

  Develop an animated Riverdance featureProduct launch

  Background

  The Riverdance stage production offered an established entertainment property that could be adapted into a family animated film.

  Action taken

  Comic Animations began development of an animated feature in association with River Productions and Cinesite.

  Aftermath

  The project was completed as Riverdance: The Animated Adventure and released in 2021 under the Aniventure name.

  Source

• 2013

  Launch an independent family-animation companyStrategy

  Background

  The company was established as Comic Animations with a stated focus on family-oriented feature animation and the development of content and intellectual property.

  Action taken

  It adopted a partnership-based production model, working with external animation, rights, financing, and distribution organizations rather than relying solely on an internally operated studio.

  Aftermath

  The model led to collaborations with Cinesite, 3QU Media, Vanguard Animation, River Productions, SPA Studios, Atresmedia Cine, GFM Animation, and Netflix across multiple projects.

  Source

• 2020

  Hitpig! voice cast announced[1]Aniventureen.wikipedia.org

  Product launch

  Aniventure announced the voice cast for Hitpig!, an animated adaptation of Berkeley Breathed's picture book Pete and Pickles, including Jason Sudeikis and Lilly Singh.

• 2019

  Klaus released through Netflix[1]Aniventureen.wikipedia.org

  Product launch

  Klaus, produced by SPA Studios with Atresmedia Cine and Aniventure, was released through Netflix and became a major awards success for the company.

• 2019

  Blazing Samurai moves into production[1]Aniventureen.wikipedia.org

  Product launch

  Aniventure and GFM Animation announced that the animated project later titled Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank was fully funded and entering production at Cinesite.

• 2017

  Harold Lloyd estate partnership announced[1]Aniventureen.wikipedia.org

  Other

  The company entered a partnership with the Harold Lloyd estate to develop animated content connected with the silent-film comedian's work.

• 2016

  Riverdance animated feature enters development[1]Aniventureen.wikipedia.org

  Product launch

  Comic Animations began developing an animated feature based on the stage production Riverdance in partnership with River Productions and Cinesite.

• 2014

  Comic Animations agrees to produce four Vanguard Animation films[1]Aniventureen.wikipedia.org

  Other

  The company entered a deal with 3QU Media to produce four animated features for Vanguard Animation, later associated with Gnome Alone, Charming, Trouble, and Fearless.

• 2013

  Comic Animations releases Beans[1]Aniventureen.wikipedia.org

  Product launch

  Aniventure's predecessor released Beans, a short animated production made with Cinesite. The film became widely viewed online and received awards recognition.

1. 1Aniventureen.wikipedia.org