On Animation Studios has announced its permanent shutdown on LinkedIn this afternoon.
Founded in 2012 by Aton Soumache and Dimitri Rassam, the studio produced films like Playmobil: The Movie.
Following the collapse of Technicolor Group’s MPC and Mikros studios, the closure of On Animation Studios is another blow for Montreal’s animation and VFX industries.
On Animation quickly became a key Montreal studio, attracting global talent with projects like Ladybug & Cat Noir: The Movie, a top-grossing French animated film, and The Little Prince, a Cannes selection and César winner.
The LinkedIn post stated:
“Amid the changes in our industry, On Animation Studios is ceasing its activities. It is sad to say goodbye to a team as incredible, talented, and skilled as ours.
We will deeply miss the joy and excitement of creating outstanding films alongside such remarkable people and partners.
We are grateful to have had the opportunity to do what we love for so many years while remaining true to ourselves. T
he way we shared, learned, and grew together, and the respect and care we showed one another, were as essential as the stories we told and the values they embodied.
This is our commitment to a brighter future — not only for the children who cherish our films but for everyone who works in this extraordinary industry, along with their loved ones who have shared in this journey.
Though we cannot name each person who played a vital role in making this adventure possible, you know who you are, and for that, we thank you from the heart.
We leave behind a testament to our work and the promise that we still want to do more. Keep on keeping on.”
The shutdown is another sign of Quebec’s fading status as an animation hub, with the industry’s earlier boom driven largely by tax credits and an international workforce.
On Animation’s closure follows industry warnings about Quebec’s revised tax credit scheme, which quickly hurt the local animation and VFX sector.
Combined with the Hollywood strikes, these changes slashed industry jobs from 8,000 in late 2022 to under 5,000 by the end of 2023.
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