Xilam Greenlights Oggy and the Cockroaches Spin-Off

Xilam Animation is developing Oggy Oggy, a spin-off of its property Oggy and the Cockroaches that marks the company’s first-ever CGI animated series.

Xilam will start production on the preschool series next summer, developing two consecutive seasons for a total of 156 7-minute episodes. The project, budgeted a $22 million, is expected to take two years, with a tentative launch date for the first season in late 2020 and the second season the following year. The series will follow the titular cat in his youth.

The series sees Xilam expand its popular Oggy brand and also solidify its place in the preschool arena after the global success of Paprika. Xilam also plans to produce at least half of its slate in CGI in the future, so Oggy Oggy offers the company’s Angouleme-based studio an opportunity to dip into the CGI domain.

The development of the series also allows Xilam to implement a consumer-products licensing strategy from inception in key categories, including toys, apparel and homewares. The company recently celebrated the 20th anniversary of Oggy and the Cockroaches, which now has 350 episodes and airs in 190 countries.

Marc Du Pontavice, CEO of Xilam Animation, said: “We’re delighted to be extending the world of Oggy and the Cockroaches and bringing young audiences a fresh new take on this iconic and internationally loved property. The brand’s heritage and cross-generational appeal means it is perfectly positioned to expand into the preschool arena, and we’re confident Oggy Oggy’s heartfelt storylines, which are brimming with imagination and fantasy, along with the show’s adorable visual style, will resonate with young audiences and their families around the world.”