CinéGroupe
{{Short description|Canadian animation studio}}
{{Infobox company
| name = CinéGroupe
| foundation = {{Start date and age|1974}}
| founder = Jacques Pettigrew
| owner = Jacques Pettigrew
| hq_location = 1010 Rue Sainte-Catherine E, 6th floor
| hq_location_city = Montreal, Quebec
| hq_location_country = Canada
| key_people = Jacques Pettigrew (President, CEO)
Michel Lemire (Creative Director)
Christian Garcia (CGI Supervisor)
| industry = Animation
| num_employees = 400
| num_employees_year = 2005
| parent = {{plainlist|
- Cinepix Film Properties (1980–1997)
- Lions Gate Entertainment (1998–2002, minority stake)
}}
| website = https://www.cinegroupe.site/
}}
CinéGroupe Corporation (or simply CinéGroupe and formerly known as Ciné-Groupe, stylized in all caps) is a Canadian animation studio and production company based in Montreal, Quebec. The company was founded in 1974. Its shows and films have been seen in over 125 countries.{{cite web|url=http://www.telefilm.gc.ca/06/6511.asp?lang=en&f=2743|title=Company information for CinéGroupe|year=2004|publisher=Telefilm Canada|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050417000817/http://www.telefilm.gc.ca/06/6511.asp?lang=en&f=2743|archive-date=2005-04-17}}
Notable franchises from CinéGroupe include: What's with Andy?, The Kids from Room 402, and Pig City (all aired on Fox Family, now known as Freeform); the animated Tripping the Rift (Sci Fi, now known as Syfy); and PBS' Sagwa, the Chinese Siamese Cat. With Sony Wonder, it has produced Mega Babies (also aired on Fox Family), as well as a direct-to-video feature, Lion of Oz (a prequel to both the L. Frank Baum work, and the 1939 film).
In the 2000s, the company produced the animation for a sequel to the 1981 cult classic Heavy Metal for Columbia TriStar Home Video titled Heavy Metal 2000,{{cite web|url=https://www.variety.com/review/VE1117786681/|title=Heavy Metal 2000|last=Nesselson|first=Lisa|work=Variety|date=May 30, 2000}} premiered on Starz in the United States and on Teletoon in Canada from 2001 onwards. In 2004, it made Pinocchio 3000, a sci-fi retelling of the Italian tale.{{cite web|url=http://www.cinegroupe.ca/english_v2/filmo/filmo/index2.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071015055105/http://www.cinegroupe.ca/english_v2/filmo/filmo/index2.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=15 October 2007|title=sous_section_filmo|date=15 October 2007}} Galidor: Defenders of the Outer Dimension, a live-action fantasy series for teenagers, has also been produced by the company. The company also cooperated with the toy maker MGA Entertainment in the creation of Bratz: Starrin' and Stylin', a 2D-animated direct-to-video film based on MGA's Bratz line of fashion dolls.
History
CinéGroupe was founded in 1974 by Jacques Pettigrew.
In August 1998, Fox Family Worldwide purchased a 20% minority stake in the company although CinéGroupe remained as a subsidiary of Lions Gate Entertainment, which owned 40% of the studio.{{Cite web|url=https://kidscreen.com/1998/08/01/22403-19980801/|title = Fox into Ciné-Groupe}}{{Cite web |last=Tillson |first=Tamsen |date=2000-07-17 |title=Lions Gate takes bite out of loss |url=https://variety.com/2000/biz/news/lions-gate-takes-bite-out-of-loss-1117783804/ |access-date=2023-11-22 |website=Variety |language=en-US}}
In January 2001, the studio formed a production and distribution joint-venture with Telescene, with the first production under it being the third series of Big Wolf on Campus. CinéGroupe would hold an 80% stake while Telescene would hold 20%.{{Cite web |last=Kelly |first=Brendan |date=2001-01-31 |title=Telescene inks with CineGroupe |url=https://variety.com/2001/film/news/telescene-inks-with-cinegroupe-1117792952/ |access-date=2023-11-22 |website=Variety |language=en-US}} That July, Lions Gate's ownership of the studio was confirmed to have been reduced to 30%, with Lions Gate president Andre Link having 50% of its voting stock, leading to the studio being a partner of Lions Gate instead of a subsidiary.{{Cite web|url=https://www.screendaily.com/quebec-grants-91m-to-lions-gate-partner/406319.article|title = Quebec grants $9.1m to Lions Gate partner}} In September, the company formed a division called CinéGroupe Image to expand to live-action programming.{{Cite web|url=https://kidscreen.com/2001/09/01/cinegroupe-20010901/|title = CinéGroupe Image takes on a live-action production mantle}}
In October 2002, the company united with the music label Les Disques Star Records Inc. to create a home video distributor called CinéGroupe Star.{{cite web|url=http://www.star.ca/cinegroup/cinegroup.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20021012101042/http://www.star.ca/cinegroup/cinegroup.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=12 October 2002|title=CINEGROUP|date=12 October 2002}} The following month, the company announced the production of Britney Spears cartoon,{{Cite web|url=https://www.c21media.net/news/lions-gate-snags-britney/|title = Lions Gate snags Britney}} but the project never came to fruition.
Between 2002 and 2003, CinéGroupe developed three video games for the Game Boy Advance: Tom and Jerry in Infurnal Escape, Dora the Explorer: The Search for Pirate Pig's Treasure (both 2002 and published by NewKidCo), and Dora the Explorer: Super Spies (2003; published by Gotham Games).{{cite web | url=https://www.c21media.net/news/cinegroupe-signs-on-with-kids-game-developer/feed/ | title=CineGroupe signs on with kids' game developer}}
By December 2003, Lions Gate Entertainment's stake in the studio was reduced further to 29.4%.http://www.curran-connors.com/localversions/online-ar/lg2004/LGF_2004_ARPDF.pdf{{dead link|date=May 2025}} {{Bare URL PDF|date=March 2022}}
In January 2004, the CinéGroupe Star joint venture with Star Records was folded.{{citation needed|date=August 2018}} The same month, in the wake of production cuts, the studio filed for a protection order from its creditors with the Quebec Superior Court.{{Cite web|url=https://playbackonline.ca/2004/01/19/cinegroupe-20040119/|title=CineGroupe files for credit protection}}
In 2018, CinéGroupe co-produced Tshakapesh, a 2D-animated series based on an Innu legend, which has aired on APTN and Radio-Canada. Two edutainment IPs are currently being developed by CinéGroupe, aiming at raising awareness about water preservation and environmental protection. CinéGroupe is also viewing revivals and revitalization of their old properties.{{cite web|url=https://www.sodec.gouv.qc.ca/wp-content/uploads/mipcom-2018brochure-ang-vf-web.pdf|title=MIPCOM 2018 directory of exhibitors|publisher=SODEC}}
Library
=Distribution=
CinéGroupe is currently partnered with HG Distribution (Henry Gagnon Distribution) for the distribution of its library,{{cite web|url=https://www.hgagnondistribution.com/en/titles/series|title=Series}} but only a portion of CinéGroupe's catalogue is listed for distribution by HG. Several notable titles such as Bad Dog, Daft Planet, and The Tofus are not listed,{{cite web|url=http://www.cinegroupe.ca/english_v2/filmo/filmo/index.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071010192018/http://www.cinegroupe.ca/english_v2/filmo/filmo/index.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=10 October 2007|title=sous_section_filmo|date=10 October 2007}} as are live-action series, such as Big Wolf on Campus.{{cite web|url=http://www.cinegroupe.ca/english_v2/filmo/filmo/index3.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071015054847/http://www.cinegroupe.ca/english_v2/filmo/filmo/index3.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=15 October 2007|title=sous_section_filmo|date=15 October 2007}}
=Series=
==Released==
==Upcoming==
=Films=
| class="wikitable sortable" style="width: auto style="width:85%; table-layout: fixed"
! style="width:22%;"| Title ! style="width:10%;"| Release date ! style="width:18%;"| Co-production with ! style="width:20%;" | Note | |||
| Jean-du-Sud autour du monde | 1983 | ||
| Just a Game | May 22, 1983 | Astral Films (distributor) | |
| Jerome's Secret | September 23, 1994 | Citadel Films National Film Board of Canada | |
| Heavy Metal 2000 | July 10, 2000 | Columbia Tristar Home Video (distributor) | |
| Lion of Oz | September 26, 2000 | Sony Wonder (distributor) | |
| Edge of Madness | January 1, 2002 | Credo Entertainment, Gregorian Films, Lions Gate Films (distributor) | |
| Pinocchio 3000 | February 9, 2004 | Filmax, AnimaKids, Christal Films (distributor) | |
| Bratz: Starrin' & Stylin' | August 3, 2004 | MGA Entertainment, Toon City Animation, 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (distributor) | |
| Sindbad and the Wind of Destiny | colspan="2" {{TBA}} | In production |
=TV specials=
- David Copperfield (1993)
- Eye of the Wolf (1998)
=Video games=
- Tom and Jerry in Infurnal Escape (2002, published by NewKidCo)
- Dora the Explorer: The Search for Pirate Pig's Treasure (2002, published by NewKidCo)
- Dora the Explorer: Super Spies (2003, published by Gotham Games)
{{Portal|Companies}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [https://www.cinegroupe.site/ Official website]
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20050304110142/http://www.cinegroupe.ca/ Original website in 2005]
{{BVS Entertainment}}
{{Jetix|state=expanded}}
{{Fox Kids|state=expanded}}
{{Lionsgate}}
{{Animation industry in Canada}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cinegroupe}}
Category:Canadian animation studios
Category:Companies based in Montreal
Category:Canadian companies established in 1974
Category:Mass media companies established in 1974
Category:Film production companies of Canada
Category:Television production companies of Canada
Category:Video game companies of Canada