5 Worlds Jumps From Graphic Novel To Animated Pitch

Posted in: Comics, Current News | Tagged: 5 Worlds, Cartoon Forum

The graphic novel series 5 Worlds is being turned into a cartoon series by Andarta Pictures, to be unveiled at the Cartoon Forum.

The graphic novel series 5 Worlds, made up of five books written by Mark Siegel and Alexis Siegel and drawn by Boya Sun, Xanthe Bouma and Matt Rockefeller, is being turned into a cartoon series by Andarta Pictures, to be unveiled at the Cartoon Forum pitchfest this September in Toulouse, France.

5 Worlds has sold over half a million copies and has already been published i seven languages, English, French, Thai, Spanish, Italian, Romanian, Hebrew, Russian). It is published by Gallimard in France and Penguin Random House in the United States.

The series follows young heroes who must travel through different worlds to save their universe from an impending threat. Each volume explores a unique planet with its own ancient cultures, varied geographies, and ecological challenges. The protagonists tackle complex themes such as cultural integration, class struggle, shared humanity, and corrupt politics, offering a rich and multidimensional universe that addresses adult issues at a child-friendly level.

5 Worlds follows Andarta Pictures’ acquisition of the rights to Ewilan’s Quest in 2017, and is adapting a Franco-American intellectual property for the first time. Founded in June 2017, Andarta Pictures is a 2D animation film production company based in Bourg-lès-Valence, at the Pôle Image La Cartoucherie.

“Attracted by the graphic universe of 5 Worlds, I delved into these books during the 2020 lockdown. I was blown away by the depth of the story and the spectacular character development in these youth novels. To my surprise, Mark Siegel, author of 5 Worlds, contacted me soon after! This IP aligns perfectly with Andarta Pictures’ ambition: to offer initiation stories to younger generations through fantastic universes, similar to our flagship project: Ewilan’s Quest. Adapting 5 Worlds was an obvious choice for my team and me,” shares Sophie Saget, Producer and Founder of Andarta Pictures.

“The 5 Worlds is the meeting of Star Wars and Narnia, a space opera with young adults at the heart of the plot. The combination of animation with the authors’ vision makes this adventure particularly exciting: we’re not talking about building just one universe, but 5! Each with its own issues, people and customs… A beautiful challenge for our creative teams!” says Bruna Pegoraro, Head of Development at Andarta Pictures.

The studio states that it intends to involve the fan community from the earliest stages, as they did with Ewilan’s Quest. They will establish  dedicated communication spaces on social networks, allowing fans to follow and participate in the project’s evolution in real time.

‘In the 5 Worlds creative team, we are all lovers of animation in all its forms. When I showed Andarta’s trailers to my teammates, we unanimously felt a strong artistic affinity between the studio and us. I got in touch with Sophie Saget, and it turned out that she knew 5 Mondes very well, so things clicked immediately. To translate our unusual aesthetic and the ambition of this story into the world of animation, we couldn’t dream of a better partner than a studio like Andarta, which represents the genius of French animation so well,” says Mark Siegel, co-creator of the 5 Worlds saga.

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