“Heidi: The Rescue of the Lynx,” co-produced by Studio 100 in Germany, Hotel Hungary in Belgium and 3Doubles in Spain. This opened this week after much of the work done at Uhartea, a Vizcaia-based subsidiary, opened at the Spanish theatre in previous German and British bows.
The trajectory of 3Doubles reflects the broader rise of the Canary Islands as an animation hub. The Canary Islands animation industry is supported by a special zone tax system, creating about 800 jobs a year from two small shops to over 15 studios, providing work for Netflix, Apple, Amazon and Disney, with local talent contributing to “Arcane Jam”, “Tarabug” and “Tarabug”.
With the creation of Sumendi Uhartea at Bizkaia, 3Doubles has expanded its model to mainland Spain, taking advantage of incentives across the region.
Still, Sanchez argues that the gap in European family films remains a central challenge. “The impact on the audience is still small,” he said. “However, projects like Heidi and upcoming originals are trying to change that. ”
The “Heidi’s” release shows Canary Island Studios’ growing influence, shining the spotlight on the region’s role as an animation hub serving Europe’s still underserved family film markets.
“In Europe, films are funded through complex co-productions involving multiple countries. It helps to pool resources, but can make marketing and distribution even more difficult.” “Even when European films are being made, we struggle to find a wide audience outside our home country.”
“Heidi: Rescue of Lynx”
That imbalance was evident at the Spanish box office. At the Spanish box office, “Heidi” was ranked as the most sold out independent release, but it was crowded with 11 other titles. “It gives us an idea of how Spanish animated films will pay for the US and Japanese people,” added Sanchez. Discovered in the Canary Islands in 2017, 3Doubles grew rapidly. “We started with a different vision compared to most Spanish studios. It was a bet on a permanent employment contract,” Sanchez said.
3Doubles, a primarily service provider, has expanded as a small number of partners, often filling the funding gap, as picked up for the sale of Odin’s Eye Animation, as well as “Heidi” and Mexican “Rockbottom.” The studio has also moved to a majority co-produced with “Flamingo Flamenco,” scheduled for 2027, written by “Heidi” scribe Rob Splackling (“Gnomeo & Juliet”). It also develops “Ages of Madness,” a horror anthology inspired by Lovecraft. When he dug into Studio 100 and asked for Canarian costumes to take over layout, animation and CFX in December 2023, “Heidi” clearly piloted the “Heidi”, piloted by Studio 100 and Hotel Hungarian. “We’ve already worked at Studio 100 for a few years, so everything happened very quickly,” recalls Sánchez. “We had to regroup our team, but “Heidi” was worth it as it is a very well-known and beloved IP in Spain. ”
To remain true to the property’s roots, animators re-watched a 1970s television series, a touchstone for a generation of European audiences. “It was one of our main facilities,” explained Sanchez. “It was a very interesting challenge that the animators were willing to embrace.”
