Media One’s Mai Juyin Productions, the makers of the global family hits Mia and the White Lion and The Wolf and the Lion, returns to the wild with Indiana and the Otter Legend.
The English-language family adventure project, scheduled to be filmed in the wilderness of Canada’s Eastern Townships in 2026, involves Paris-based company Playtime, which is part of Vuelta.
Playtime (“The Quiet Son”) begins global sales of the ambitious project at American Film Market, marking its first collaboration with Mai Juin Productions.
“The Legend of Indiana and the Otters,” which depicts the journey of animals and children against a lush backdrop, has already secured distribution partners in key territories, including France’s Pan Distribution, another Vuelta-affiliated banner, Media One’s Leonine Studio in Germany, and Canada’s Photon Films and TVA Films.
The new film will be directed by Julien Descoin, best known for the acclaimed French drama series Les Bracelet Rouge, and written by Cynthia Knight, whose credits include the young adult series The Next Step.
Margaret Lawrence, who appeared in Amazon’s “Three Pines,” makes her first starring role as 12-year-old Indiana (Lawrence), who is “banished from town and forced to live in the struggling riverside town of Otterville, once famous for its otters, but now otter-free.” When the two unexpectedly return, the town feels hopeful again. But protecting them puts Indiana and her friends in a war with a predatory developer, a corrupt mayor, and her own father, the town’s sheriff.
Catha of My Juin Productions, the driving force behind the animal-starring family hits Mia and the White Lion ($40 million), The Wolf and the Lion ($25 million) and The Last Jaguar ($22 million) Lynne Kambold is producing “Indiana and the Otter Legend” alongside Jonathan Vanger and Sylvain Proulx of Wishing Tree Productions, whose credits include “Cat & Dog.” “Bestseller” and “Crisis”. This project is supported by Telefilm Canada.
“The otter as the main character is very appealing,” said Playtime co-chief executive officer Sebastian Beffa. “They bring not only positive values such as family and work, but also an imaginary background of kindness, humor and genuine empathy.”
Beffa also praised the script for “offering an authentic ecological perspective, not in a guilt-inducing way, but in a constructive way, allowing audiences of all ages to participate in an entertaining way.”
Meanwhile, Kambold and Vanger said they are “pleased with this first partnership with Playtime.”
They described Indiana as an adventure film about a group of kids and otters in the spirit of ET, Super 8, The Goonies and Stranger Things. Producers said the film will combine “adventure, emotion and comedy with the mischievous nature of animals” and universal themes such as “friendship, teenage liberation and environmental protection.”
