Cinesite bought an Indian animation studio

Cinesite expands into Asia by taking a majority stake in Mumbai-based animation and vfx studio Assemblage, which which will continue to operate independently under the father-and-son leadership of founder AK Madhavan and CEO Arjun Madhavan.

Assemblage has built a robust portfolio of CG-animated kids content, doing service work on popular series like Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir and Trollhunters. The decade-old studio is also growing its VFX footprint with recent credits such as Marvel Studios’ Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and the upcoming Matilda the Musical, which will launch on Netflix in the US this Christmas.

According to Cinesite, the acquisition comes at a time of unprecedented demand for global animation services and builds on previous studio acquisitions including Image Engine, Trixter, FX3X, L’Atelier, and Squeeze. Cinesite now has 2,500 employees worldwide.

Cinesite CEO Antony Hunt said in a release: “Assemblage is an undisputed CGI animation industry leader in Asia and knows the market, the culture, and the landscape better than any other company. To produce the quality of content that we are aiming for to serve the market demand in the future, we need to be able to draw on talent and competence from various territories around the world. Through this venture, we have found the right partner in Assemblage who is well-placed to further solidify its position as an important player in the international animation market, grow its vfx capabilities, and meet the extensive commercial demand in Asia.”