nWave Studios

nWave Studios is a Belgian animation studio headquartered in Brussels, with an American office in Los Angeles. The company was founded in 1994 by Ben Stassen and developed a body of work spanning animated feature films, location-based entertainment and stereoscopic 3D productions. Its output has included both conventional animated-film projects and short-format or attraction-oriented productions designed for specialized cinema venues and theme-park-style experiences. The studio’s early and continuing identity is closely associated with 3D exhibition. Its listed productions include titles such as Thrill Ride: The Science of Fun, Magic Carpet Adventure, Encounter in the Third Dimension, Alien Adventure, Haunted Castle and SOS Planet. These projects were built around immersive presentation and helped establish nWave as a producer of attractions intended for 3D, 4D or other enhanced theatrical environments. The production list also includes later projects such as Wild Safari 3D, African Adventure: Safari in the Okavango, Fly Me to the Moon 4D, The House of Magic 4D and a number of other location-based or stereoscopic releases. Alongside these productions, nWave expanded into animated feature films. Its listed feature-related work includes Robinson Crusoe 3D, The Son of Bigfoot, Bigfoot Family, Rex: A Royal Topdog, Happy Family: Next Level and other projects released or developed across the 2010s and 2020s. The titles indicate a portfolio covering family animation, adventure, comedy and fantasy, with several projects adapted for 3D or related enhanced-screen formats. The studio’s production slate has also included The Little Prince, Deepo: A Fish Story, The House of Magic, The Lost World, Return to the Lost World, Jolly Roger, Wanted Alive, Trapper's Adventures, Meg and the Lost Scepter, Theater of Dreams and Meg and the Quest for the Holy Spork. A significant ownership change occurred in September 2018, when MZM, the production group associated with Matthieu Zeller, acquired a majority stake in nWave Pictures. The transaction marked a change in the studio’s ownership structure while leaving nWave’s identity as a Belgian animation and 3D-production company central to its public profile. The available reference material does not provide the transaction value, the precise legal structure following the investment, or a complete account of subsequent management arrangements. nWave’s positioning is therefore based on specialized animation production rather than on a consumer-product brand model. Its work combines family-oriented storytelling with technical formats intended to create immersive viewing experiences. The company’s Brussels base and Los Angeles presence give it a European production identity with an American operating foothold, although the supplied reference material does not specify the size of either office, current distribution partners, detailed revenue figures or a complete current filmography. The studio’s documented catalogue nevertheless shows a sustained focus on animated entertainment, stereoscopic presentation and attraction-oriented cinema.

nWave Studios was founded in Belgium in 1994 by Ben Stassen. From its documented beginnings, the studio developed around animation and the use of stereoscopic presentation. Rather than limiting its activity to conventional theatrical animation, nWave produced films intended for immersive venues and specialized screens, including 3D and 4D attractions. This approach is reflected in early titles such as Thrill Ride: The Science of Fun, Magic Carpet Adventure, Encounter in the Third Dimension, Alien Adventure and Haunted Castle. During the late 1990s and 2000s, the studio continued to build a catalogue of short-form and attraction-oriented productions. The listed work includes SOS Planet, Misadventures in 3D, Haunted House, Wild Safari 3D, Jett and Jin, African Adventure: Safari in the Okavango and Fly Me to the Moon 4D. These projects covered science, fantasy, travel, adventure and family entertainment, while maintaining the studio’s emphasis on enhanced visual formats. Additional titles in this period and the following years included The Curse of Skull Rock, Turtle Vision, Pirate Story, The Little Prince, Castle Secret, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Deepo: A Fish Story, The Good, The Bad and a Horse, The House of Magic 4D, Sherlock Holmes, The Lost World, Haunted Mansion and Knights Quest. The studio’s catalogue also developed toward animated feature films and broader family entertainment. Documented later productions include Robinson Crusoe 3D, Birds of a Feather, Return to the Lost World, The Son of Bigfoot, Jolly Roger, Chaos in Wonderland, Dog Games, Rex: A Royal Topdog, Bigfoot Family 4D, Wanted Alive, Trapper's Adventures, Meg and the Lost Scepter, Happy Family: Next Level and Theater of Dreams. These titles show a continuing mixture of animated storytelling and format-specific presentation, with recurring genres such as comedy, fantasy, adventure and family animation. In September 2018, MZM acquired a majority stake in nWave Pictures. MZM is described in the reference material as a production group associated with Matthieu Zeller. The transaction was the principal documented ownership milestone in the available history and changed the control structure around the nWave business. The reference does not state the purchase price, the exact percentage acquired or the full post-transaction corporate structure. nWave is based in Brussels and has an American office in Los Angeles, giving the studio a Belgian headquarters and a United States operating presence. Its documented work suggests a business centered on producing and developing animated and immersive-screen entertainment rather than selling merchandise directly to consumers. The available material does not provide a detailed account of current leadership, staffing, distribution arrangements, financial performance or the studio’s complete present-day operations. Accordingly, the historical record is clearest on its founding, its 3D and 4D production focus, its animated-film catalogue and the 2018 majority investment by MZM.

• 2025

  Meg and the Quest for the Holy Spork

  [1]nWave Studiosen.wikipedia.org

  Meg and the Quest for the Holy Spork was listed as a later nWave production.

• 2020

  Bigfoot Family 4D

  [1]nWave Studiosen.wikipedia.org

  Bigfoot Family 4D was included in the studio’s listed production work.

• 2018

  MZM acquires a majority stake

  [1]nWave Studiosen.wikipedia.org

  MZM acquired a majority stake in nWave Pictures in September 2018.

• 2017

  The Son of Bigfoot

  [1]nWave Studiosen.wikipedia.org

  The Son of Bigfoot was listed among nWave’s later animated productions.

• 2016

  Robinson Crusoe 3D

  [1]nWave Studiosen.wikipedia.org

  Robinson Crusoe 3D appears in the studio’s later animated and stereoscopic production catalogue.

• 2008

  Fly Me to the Moon 4D

  [1]nWave Studiosen.wikipedia.org

  nWave released the listed 4D production Fly Me to the Moon 4D.

• 1997

  Thrill Ride: The Science of Fun

  [1]nWave Studiosen.wikipedia.org

  The studio’s documented 3D production catalogue begins with Thrill Ride: The Science of Fun.

• 1994

  nWave Studios is founded

  [1]nWave Studiosen.wikipedia.org

  Ben Stassen founded nWave Studios in Belgium.

A Belgian animation and immersive-cinema studio focused on family entertainment, animated features and stereoscopic 3D or 4D productions.

• Immersive cinema · 1997

  Stereoscopic 3D and 4D productions

  nWave’s catalogue includes films made for stereoscopic 3D and 4D presentation, often with formats suited to specialized cinemas and location-based entertainment. Examples include Thrill Ride: The Science of Fun, Encounter in the Third Dimension, Wild Safari 3D, Fly Me to the Moon 4D and The House of Magic 4D.

• Animation · 2016

  Animated feature films

  The studio’s animated feature work spans family comedy, fantasy and adventure. Documented titles include Robinson Crusoe 3D, The Son of Bigfoot, Rex: A Royal Topdog, Bigfoot Family 4D, Happy Family: Next Level and other projects listed in its production catalogue.

• Attraction film · 1997

  Location-based entertainment films

  nWave has produced short-form and attraction-oriented films for immersive venues. These works commonly use adventure, science, fantasy or travel themes and are designed around specialized exhibition formats rather than only standard theatrical release.

• 2018

  Majority investment by MZMM&A

  Background

  MZM, a production group associated with Matthieu Zeller, pursued a majority stake in nWave Pictures.

  Action taken

  MZM acquired a majority stake in nWave Pictures in September 2018.

  Aftermath

  The transaction changed the ownership structure of the nWave business. The available source does not specify the purchase price, exact ownership percentage or detailed post-acquisition management arrangements.

  Source

1. 1nWave Studiosen.wikipedia.org