Like a Photon Creative Unveils Seven-Film Slate With Sola Media Ahead of AFM

Australian animation studio Like a Photon Creative has lined up seven new animated features and handed international distribution rights on the full slate to Sola Media. The announcement lands days before CEO Kristen Souvlis attends the American Film Market.

Production finance comes from Elevate Production Finance and Alceon Entertainment Partners. Maslow Entertainment has picked up Australia and New Zealand distribution on the features. According to the companies, the lineup could create as many as 1,000 jobs in Australia and Ireland.

First up is "Familiar," an original developed in-house. The film will be made as a treaty co-production with Irish company Elephant Goldfish, with production expected to start in March 2027. Further titles will be revealed later.

"Familiar" is set at Ironclaw Academy, a school where the animal companions of sorcerers — known as familiars — go through a demanding and frequently messy training regime. Its central character is Josie, a feisty young cat.

Souvlis framed the slate as a bet on audience loyalty. "Families keep coming back to our films, and we're focused on making projects that deserve that trust, with strong stories and broad appeal," she said. "'Familiar' is the first of seven new features in our growing pipeline. Sola Media has a proven track record with our work, and together we see real opportunity to take Australian and European content to international audiences."

What does the direct-to-consumer strategy change?

Alongside each of the seven features, the studio will make short-form direct-to-consumer material built from footage that will not appear in the films themselves. That content will be bundled with the movies and rolled out across a range of online and social platforms.

Sola Media managing director Solveig Langeland said the approach adds a powerful new dimension to the slate.

"Their forward-thinking approach to building brands and engaging audiences through direct-to-consumer content from the earliest stages of production adds a powerful new dimension to their upcoming slate, creating awareness and marketing momentum long before the films reach cinemas," she said.

Langeland added: "We are proud of the successes we have achieved together and excited to embark on the next chapter of our partnership. With their expansion into co-productions with Ireland, Like a Photon is taking another exciting step forward."

The track record behind the slate

The slate follows "The Pout-Pout Fish," which Sola Media handled internationally. Adapted from the popular children's book series, the film opened at No. 9 at the U.S. box office and currently ranks as the fourth highest-grossing Australian film of 2026. It also hit No. 1 on Amazon Prime Kids and No. 6 among all Prime viewers. Maslow released it in Australian cinemas on Jan. 1, with Viva Kids handling the U.S. release on March 20.

Sola Media will also oversee international distribution for the studio's next release, "The Neverending Pillow Fort," the first feature from Crayola Studios, produced with MIMO Studios. Allison Brownmoore directs the film, due in early 2027. Elizabeth Cullen and Sofia Rose voice best friends Maggie and Abby, with Guy Pearce, David Tennant, Teresa Palmer and Marsai Martin also in the cast.

Since 2017, Like a Photon Creative has backed and made 10 animated features in 3D for worldwide theatrical release, among them "The Wishmas Tree," "Combat Wombat" and its 2023 sequel, "Daisy Quokka: World's Scariest Animal," "The Sloth Lane" and "The Lost Tiger." It also created the Sanctuary City multiverse for Universal Content Group.

Queensland writers' rooms open in 2027

Separately, Like a Photon Creative has teamed with Screen Queensland on the Escalate: Feature Focus Writers Initiative. Under the scheme, six screenwriters based in Queensland will each write a script for a possible 3D animated feature, working from concepts supplied by the studio. Writers' rooms kick off in February 2027.

Langeland founded Sola Media in 2004. The company, with offices in Stuttgart and Munich, was acquired in 2020 by Embracer Group's Plaion but continues to operate independently under Langeland and fellow managing director Moritz Peters.

With AFM opening next week, buyers will get a first look at a slate whose first production date is already on the calendar.