Like a Photon Creative Bets on Seven New Films and a Thousand Local Jobs

Like a Photon Creative has secured funding and distribution for seven new animated feature films, a move the studio says could generate up to 1,000 jobs in Australia and Ireland. The Australian studio, known for 'The Pout-Pout Fish,' handed international distribution rights for the entire slate to Sola Media. Production financing is provided by Elevate Production Finance and Alceon Entertainment Partners. Maslow Entertainment holds the distribution rights for Australia and New Zealand.

The first title in the lineup is 'Familiar,' an original story developed in-house. It will be produced as a treaty co-production with the Irish company Elephant Goldfish. Production on the film is scheduled to start in March 2027. The story is set at Ironclaw Academy, a school for sorcerers' animal companions, and follows Josie, a young cat navigating a demanding training regime.

Kristen Souvlis, the studio's CEO, stated that the company aims to produce projects with strong stories and broad appeal to retain family audiences. 'Familiar' is the first of seven new features in their growing pipeline, she noted. Souvlis plans to attend the American Film Market, where the full slate will be presented to industry buyers.

In addition to the theatrical features, the studio will produce short-form direct-to-consumer content. This material will be created from footage not included in the final films and will be distributed across various online and social media platforms. The shorts will be bundled with the movies to build brand awareness before their cinema releases.

The new slate follows the success of 'The Pout-Pout Fish,' which Sola Media distributed internationally. Adapted from a children's book series, the film opened at No. 9 at the U.S. box office. It is currently the fourth highest-grossing Australian film of 2026. The movie also reached No. 1 on Amazon Prime Kids. Maslow released the film in Australian cinemas on Jan. 1, while Viva Kids handled the U.S. release on March 20.

Sola Media will also handle international distribution for 'The Neverending Pillow Fort.' This is the first feature from Crayola Studios, produced with MIMO Studios. Allison Brownmoore directs the film, which is due in early 2027. The voice cast includes Elizabeth Cullen, Sofia Rose, Guy Pearce, David Tennant, Teresa Palmer, and Marsai Martin. Solveig Langeland, Sola Media's managing director, said the partnership leverages the studio's skill in creating strong voice casts to engage audiences.

Like a Photon Creative has also partnered with Screen Queensland for the Escalate: Feature Focus Writers Initiative. Under this scheme, six screenwriters based in Queensland will write scripts for potential 3D animated features based on concepts from the studio. Writers' rooms are set to begin in February 2027. The studio has produced 10 animated features since 2017, including 'The Wishmas Tree' and 'Daisy Quokka: World's Scariest Animal.' Sola Media, founded by Langeland in 2004, operates independently under her and co-managing director Moritz Peters despite its acquisition by Plaion in 2020.