South Africa’s Triggerfish Animation Studios Signs With WME (Exclusive)

LONDON – Cape Town-based Triggerfish Animation Studios has signed with WME for representation in all areas. 

The Hollywood agency will work with the independent studio, known as “the Pixar of South Africa,” which plans to produce five new feature film projects over the next seven years. 

 

Known for producing animated features Zambezia, starring the voices of Jeremy Suarez, Abigail Breslin, Jeff Goldblum, Leonard Nimoy and Samuel L. Jackson, and Khumba, starring Jake T. Austin, AnnaSophia Robb, Steve Buscemi, Laurence Fishburne and Liam Neeson, Triggerfish is currently in development on its third feature.

 

The film, Sea Monster, is scheduled to be released in 2016. It is being written by Raffaella Delle Donne, who already worked on the company’s first two releases. The movie is about a marine biologist who discovers an ancient sea monster in South Africa. 

 

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‎The studio, founded in 1996, previously produced animation for pre-school giant Sesame Workshop for several seasons of U.S., South African and other international versions of Sesame Street.

 

Triggerfish CEO Stuart Forrest and CFO Jean-Michel Koenig recently went to Los Angeles for meetings with studio executives, producers, writers and financiers introduced by WME.

 

“In an industry that relies deeply on relationships, having access to high-level networks is a big breakthrough for a company like ours who have been working in relative isolation for so long,” said Forrest. “We’re moving into the next phase of our long-term strategy and for any globally focused company, it’s all about having access to the very best relationships in the business.”

 

He also told THR: “The deal brings Triggerfish right into Hollywood and already we’re seeing the benefit of having access to their networks.”

 

Zambezia featured a young falcon that travels to the bird city of Zambezia. Khumba was about a half-striped zebra born into a herd obsessed with stripes.

 

E-mail: Georg.Szalai@THR.com

Twitter: @georgszalai