Epsilon Film Boards Animated Feature 'Apple Cadabra – I Shrunk Myself'

Epsilon Film has acquired worldwide rights to "Apple Cadabra – I Shrunk Myself," an animated family adventure adapted from "Petronella Applesauce," one of Germany's most successful children's book series.

The company launches international sales at the American Film Market, which runs Nov. 10-15 in Los Angeles. Buyers there get a first look at footage. Epsilon Film will operate from Suite No. 334 at the Fairmont Century Plaza Hotel.

The film centers on two children who are magically shrunk into a miniature world. The premise carries echoes of "Honey, I Shrunk the Kids," relocated to an enchanted garden. The production team previously delivered "The Elfkins" and "Rabbit Academy" — proven German animated fare.

"Blending fantasy, humor, suspense and adventure with an emotional story about empathy and overcoming prejudice, 'Apple Cadabra – I Shrunk Myself' brings the beloved literary franchise to the big screen in a magical family adventure with international appeal," Epsilon Film said in a statement.

Why did Epsilon Film buy it?

Alice von Einem, managing director of Epsilon Film, pointed to the film's central conceit: scale. "What immediately captured our imagination was the idea of two children suddenly finding themselves shrunk into Petronella's enchanted garden and experiencing an entirely new world from a tiny perspective," von Einem said.

She added: "The film combines a highly commercial adventure premise with universal themes of friendship, courage and belonging, making it a wonderful family event for audiences around the world."

That is sales-talk, of course, but it's grounded in a genuine asset: a literary franchise with a built-in readership across German-speaking markets.

Who is making the film?

The credits read like a German animation roll call.

• Directors: Ute von Münchow-Pohl ("The Elfkins," "Rabbit Academy") and Felix Schichl
• Screenplay: Claudio Winter ("The Elfkins," "Rabbit Academy") and Seraina Nyikos
• Character design: Oliver Kurth ("Monster Family 2," "Grand Prix of Europe")
• Producers: Dirk Beinhold and Valentin Greulich for Akkord Film, the animation studio behind "The Elfkins" and "Rabbit Academy"

Co-production partners include Seru Animation ("My Fairy Troublemaker"), PFX ("The Whalesinger"), VAST and JewelLabs Pictures. Tobis Film will distribute the film widely in German theaters.

What happens at AFM?

The American Film Market (the annual Los Angeles rights-trading event) runs Nov. 10-15. First-look footage at this stage signals a production far enough along to sell — not a poster and a prayer.

The German theatrical commitment from Tobis is already in place. That gives international buyers a domestic anchor, which matters in the family-animation market where pre-sales often hinge on a home territory's confidence.

The real test comes after the footage screens in Suite No. 334: whether a garden-scale adventure can shrink the distance between a German bookshelf and a global release calendar.