by Ricky Church
Though it has been 10 years since France’s animation studio released Ballerina, the studio is now expanding the film with an upcoming sequel and TV series.
Ballerina, which had the title of Leap! in the U.S., followed a young girl who flees a rural orphanage to pursue her dream of becoming a ballerina at the Paris Grand Opera House. It featured Elle Fanning, Dane DeHaan and Carly Rae Jepsen in the English voice cast while the French featured Camille Cottin and Malik Bentalha.
The sequel will be written and directed by Laurent Zeitoun and produced by her and Gregory Ouanhon for Good Hero. Gaumont will distribute it worldwide for a theatrical release in 2029. Following the film, Good Hero will expand the franchise into a TV series, which will have Andre Burrell (Disenchantment) as its head writer, and other media including digital videos on YouTube.
Ballerina’s aspirational story of female empowerment has continued to resonate with new audiences over the last decade and is even more relevant today,” said Zeitoun and Ouanhon. “The film embodies what it means to follow your dreams — the universal values of overcoming challenges, hard work and commitment, the power of artistic expression, and creating positive change in the world by being true to yourself. We want to expand the Ballerinauniverse and introduce this magical, heartwarming story to a new generation of young women who already personify these values.”
“Ballerina remains one of the most successful independent animated films at the worldwide box office, demonstrating its strength and universal themes. The DNA of the franchise is timeless and has the power to delight multiple generations of families,” said Gaumont’s Alexis Cassanet.
Ballerina 2 will be released in 2029.
