Mumbai-based Assemblage, one of Asia’s leading premium CGI animation studios, has entered into a partnership with privately owned feature animation & VFX studio Cinesite, which has acquired a majority stake. Assemblage will continue to service its global clientele independently under Founder AK Madhavan and CEO Arjun Madhavan.
Founded in 2013 by industry stalwart Madhavan (amiably known as “Madmax”), Assemblage provides premium 3D animation and visual effects services to major Hollywood studios and independent production companies globally across theatrical features, long-form episodic TV series and short-form content, Assemblage’s portfolio includes Norm of the North (Lionsgate), Trollhunters (Netflix), Arctic Dogs (Entertainment Studios), Chico Bon Bon, Word Party (Netflix), Miraculous Ladybug (Disney), Enchanted Village of Pinocchio (France.TV), Arctic Friends, Puffins, Puffins Impossible (Apple TV, Prime Video) and Swan Princess (Sony).
“Assemblage is an undisputed CGI animation industry leader in Asia and knows the market, the culture and the landscape better than any other company,” said Antony Hunt, CEO of Cinesite. “To produce the quality of content that we are aiming for to serve the market demand in the future, we need to be able to draw on talent and competence from various territories around the world. Through this venture, we have found the right partner in Assemblage who is well-placed to further solidify its position as an important player in the international animation market, grow its VFX capabilities and meet the extensive commercial demand in Asia.”
Assemblage’s Arjun Madhaven commented, “Cinesite brings a wealth of experience in the feature animation and VFX sectors that marries perfectly with our growth strategy. Its creative and technical expertise, multinational presence and robust talent network provides us with enhanced opportunities. This will empower us to further strengthen our service offerings, deepen our footprint and widen our clientele globally. With a legacy of pioneering many firsts in & from India, we are enthused by how much more we can achieve together.”
The partnership with Assemblage comes at a time of unprecedented demand for global animation services and follows on from Cinesite’s previous acquisitions of high performing studios Image Engine in 2015, Trixter in 2018 and, more recentl,y Balkan VFX studio FX3X as well as Canadian animation studios L’Atelier Animation and Squeeze. Collectively, the Cinesite group has over 2,500 filmmakers serving its customers around the world.
Recent and upcoming credits from the group include: Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (Marvel), Matilda (Netflix), Iwájú, Willow, Peter Pan & Wendy (Disney+), Animal Farm (Aniventure, The Imaginarium), The Witcher S3 (Netflix), Foundation S2 (Apple), Strays (Universal) and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem (Paramount) to name a few.
