Cinesite Takes Majority Stake in Squeeze

Cinesite has acquired a majority stake in the animation and motion capture studio Squeeze, which is behind the hit Cracké.

Squeeze is an animation studio located in Quebec City and Montreal. Its animated series Cracké is broadcast in over 210 territories and counts more than 600 million views worldwide on digital platforms. Last year, Squeeze was a recipient of an Epic MegaGrant from Epic Games.

The acquisition will allow Cinesite to further increase its animation content and service offerings for international markets while bringing motion capture and Unreal capabilities into the group to service video game and film productions.

Squeeze marks the fifth studio to join the independently owned Cinesite group, following Image Engine in 2015, Nitrogen Studios (renamed Cinesite Vancouver) in 2017, German VFX studio Trixter in 2018 and, most recently, L’Atelier Animation last month.

“Squeeze is a fantastic addition,” said Cinesite Group CEO Antony Hunt, “not only for its successful original IP Cracké and for its world-class animation portfolio, but also for its mocap capabilities and scale and the opportunity to further enhance a dynamic Montreal-based hub for the Cinesite group as a rapidly growing family entertainment powerhouse.”

Denis Doré, co-founder of Squeeze and its CEO, added, “I’m very pleased to see Squeeze join a leading group like Cinesite. We share a common vision of creation and commercialization of original animation content and, most importantly, fundamental values such as excellence, humility and integrity. Besides helping us strengthen our leadership position with our entertainment elite partners, this alliance will benefit our talented artists so they can deliver bigger-than-life character performances.”