Ulysses Film Production

What Ulysses Film Production does

Ulysses Filmproduktion GmbH is a Hamburg-based independent animation studio founded in 2004 that develops, finances, and produces animated films and series for cinema and television through international co-productions. The company specializes in S-3D CGI animated family entertainment features, typically 80-90 minutes in duration, with a portfolio spanning 18+ productions including the Niko trilogy (2008, 2012, 2024), the Ooops! series (2015, 2020), The Amazing Maurice (2022) based on Terry Pratchett's novel, and Butterfly Tale (2023). Active development projects include Maurice 2 (Sky UK co-production), Pirate Mo, Out of Frame, and Skip, alongside the Butterfly Academy TV series.

The company operates a co-production business model, partnering with European animation studios across Germany, Ireland, Finland, Denmark, Luxembourg, Austria, Spain, and Canada to distribute production costs and revenue across multiple territories. Revenue is generated through four primary streams: theatrical distribution in Germany via partnerships with Telepool, Wild Bunch Germany, DCM, Universum Film, Senator, and Farbfilm; international world sales through agents including Global Screen, Epsilon Film, and Pink Parrot Media; licensing royalties from sales to over 120 territories; and non-dilutive production funding from European film foundations (FFA, DFFF, MOIN, Eurimages, Creative Europe MEDIA, and various national film boards).

Ulysses serves the family entertainment market, targeting children aged 3-12 and their parents/guardians through theatrical releases and home entertainment formats. The company has won the Cartoon Movie European Producer of the Year award (2016), received Sundance Film Festival selections, BAFTA longlisting, and European Film Award nominations. Ulysses Music, established in 2019 as a wholly-owned subsidiary, extends operations into soundtrack production. The company remains privately held under Managing Director Emely Christians, with 11-50 employees based at its Hamburg headquarters.

Name

Ulysses Film Production

Legal name

Ulysses Filmproduktion GmbH

Website

https://ulyssesfilms.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Ulysses Filmproduktion is a Hamburg-based independent animation studio that develops, finances, and produces S-3D CGI animated family entertainment films and series for cinema and television through pan-European co-productions, targeting children and families across 120+ international territories.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Animated Film Production

NAICS

Motion Picture and Video Production (512110)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)

akta.pro primary industry

Animated Feature Film Production (MPADACAH)

Keywords

• Animated film production
• Family entertainment films
• International co-productions
• CGI animation studio
• Children's animated features

Headquarters

HQ city

Hamburg

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Film Production & Co-production Revenue: Ulysses generates revenue through developing, financing, and co-producing animated films with international partners. The company participates in international co-productions distributing production costs and revenue across multiple territories.
2. Theatrical Distribution: Films are distributed theatrically in Germany through distribution partners (Telepool, Wild Bunch Germany, DCM, Universum Film, Senator, Farbfilm) with revenue from box office receipts.
3. World Sales & International Licensing: International distribution through world sales agents (Global Screen, Epsilon Film, Pink Parrot Media, The Playmaker Munich, Sola Media) generating licensing revenue from sales to territories worldwide.
4. Public Film Funding: Company receives production funding and grants from European film foundations including MOIN, FFA, DFFF, Creative Europe MEDIA, Eurimages, and various national film funds.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Ulysses Film Production develops, finances, and produces animated films and series for cinema and television, specializing in S-3D CGI animation targeting the family entertainment market. Films are produced as international co-productions with European partners and distributed theatrically in Germany and internationally through licensed sales agents. The company also operates the Ulysses Music label for film-related music production.

Product overview

Ulysses Film Production is a Hamburg-based animation studio that develops, finances, and produces animated films and series for cinema and television as international co-productions. Their product portfolio consists of animated feature films (primarily CGI and S-3D formats) targeting family entertainment audiences, along with a music label. The core products include the Niko trilogy (Niko & The Way to the Stars, Niko 2, Niko 3), The Amazing Maurice franchise (with sequel The Waters of Life in production), Ooops! series (Noah is gone... and The Adventure Continues), Butterfly Tale, bayala, Luis and the Aliens, and Richard the Stork. Additional productions include Thor - Legends of Valhalla, The Ugly Duckling & Me, and live-action films Igor and the Cranes' Journey and Totally True Love. Current in-development/in-production projects include Moses the Pirate, Out of Frame, and Skip. The company operates the subsidiary Ulysses Music label for film-related music production.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Ulysses Music: Music label established in 2019

Products and services

• Niko 3 - Beyond the Northern Lights (Niko - Reise zu den Polarlichtern) CGI animated family entertainment film about Niko, a young reindeer who leaves his family to join Santa's Flying Forces. The third installment in the Niko trilogy produced as an Irish-German-Finnish-Danish co-production.
• Butterfly Tale S-3D animated family entertainment film about Patrick, a teenage butterfly who cannot fly but refuses to let that stop him. A coming-of-age adventure story.
• The Amazing Maurice (Maurice der Kater) S-3D animated film based on Terry Pratchett's novel about Maurice, a streetwise tomcat who leads a band of educated rats on a scheme involving pipers and rat plagues.
• Ooops! The Adventure Continues... (Ooops! 2 - Land in Sicht) S-3D CGI animated sequel where Finny and Leah, separated by a storm, must save the animals of Noah's ark on their own.
• bayala - A Magical Adventure S-3D animated family film about sun-elf Surah's quest to reunite a baby dragon with its parents and restore magic to the elf world of bayala.
• Luis and the Aliens (Luis und die Freunde aus dem All) S-3D CGI animated film about 11-year-old Luis who finds real friends in a group of crash-landed aliens who help fix his life on Earth.
• Richard the Stork (Überflieger - Kleine Vögel, großes Geklapper) S-3D animated film about orphan sparrow Richard who believes he is a stork and journeys to Africa to prove himself.
• Ooops! Noah is gone... (Ooops! Die Arche ist weg...)

Quantifiable outcome

• 2nd place worldwide among European films for international box office (2023)
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

20 partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Cantilever MediacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2004UK-based co-production partner for The Amazing Maurice (2022) and The Amazing Maurice - The Waters of Life (in production). Key creative partner for Terry Pratchett adaptations.
• Anima VitaecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2004Finnish co-production partner for Niko trilogy (2008, 2012, 2024). Long-standing partnership for the Niko animated film series.
• A.Film ProductioncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2004Danish co-production partner for multiple films including Niko trilogy and The Ugly Duckling & Me (2006).
• Moetion FilmscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2004Irish co-production partner for Ooops! series, Niko 3, and other animated features. Key partner for European co-productions.
• Fabrique d'ImagescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2004Luxembourg-based co-production partner for Ooops! series, bayala, and Luis and the Aliens.
• Studio RaketecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2004Hamburg-based animation studio partner for Ooops! Die Arche ist weg (2015).
• Knudsen & Streuber MedienmanufakturcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2004Berlin-based co-production partner for Richard the Stork (Überflieger, 2017).
• Carpe Diem Film & TVcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2004Canadian co-production partner, main producer for Butterfly Tale (2023) and Butterfly Academy TV series in development.
• TelepoolcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2004German theatrical distributor for Ooops! series, Niko series, and Maurice. Major distribution partner for theatrical releases.
• Global ScreencoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2004World sales agent for multiple Ulysses films including Ooops!, Niko, Maurice, bayala, Thor, Luis and the Aliens, and Richard the Stork.
• Wild Bunch GermanymajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2004German distributor for Butterfly Tale and Richard the Storch.
• Universum FilmmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2004German distributor for Niko trilogy and bayala films.
• DCM Film DistributionmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2004German distributor for Seeräubermoses and Mimi & Harold - Out of Frame.
• Epsilon FilmmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2004World sales agent for Out of Frame and The Amazing Maurice - The Waters of Life. Cannes 2024 sales slate announcement.
• Pink Parrot MediamajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2004World sales agent for Butterfly Tale.
• NarrativiacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2004IP holder and co-operation partner for The Amazing Maurice - The Waters of Life, working with Terry Pratchett's estate.
• Sky UKcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2004Co-production partner and broadcaster for The Amazing Maurice - The Waters of Life (Sky Original).
• Letterbox FilmproduktionmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2004German co-production partner for Seeräubermoses (Moses the Pirate).
• arx animamajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2004Austrian co-production partner for Seeräubermoses.
• ArxlightmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2004Spanish co-production partner for Seeräubermoses.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Blue Zoo Animation Studio: UK independent animation studio producing family content (Q Pootle 5, The Adventures of Paddington). Comparable as a small-to-mid-size European animation studio specializing in CGI family entertainment for cinema and TV.
• TFC Trickompany: German CGI animation studio (Animal Crackers, Little Big Panda). Comparable as a German-based CGI family-animation producer with theatrical ambitions and European co-production partnerships.
• Studio 100: Belgian-headquartered family animation powerhouse behind Maya the Bee and Heidi. Directly comparable to Ulysses as a European studio producing CGI animated family features and TV series with international co-productions and merchandise tie-ins.
• Studio Rakete: Hamburg-based animation studio that co-produced Ooops! Die Arche ist weg with Ulysses. Comparable as a German CGI animation studio producing family entertainment with shared regional funding partners (MOIN).
• Cartoon Saloon: Irish animation studio known for Wolfwalkers and The Secret of Kells. Comparable as a European, family-oriented animation producer with strong festival track record, multiple Oscar nominations, and co-financing from Irish and European public film funds.
• Ambient Entertainment: German animation studio based in Hannover producing CGI family films (e.g., Laura's Star, Felix - Ein Hase auf Weltreise). Closely comparable to Ulysses as a German-based CGI animation producer of family theatrical features with similar European co-production model.
• Lupus Films: UK animation studio known for The Snowman and the Snowdog and Ethel & Ernest. Comparable as a small-to-mid-size European animation studio producing premium family features based on literary IP with international co-production funding.
• Moetion Films: Irish co-production partner of Ulysses on Ooops!, Niko 3, and other features. Comparable as an Irish animation producer collaborating with European partners on CGI family films financed via Screen Ireland and international co-production funds.

Broad incumbents

• Aardman Animations: UK-based stop-motion animation studio (Shaun the Sheep, Wallace & Gromit). Comparable as a long-established European family-animation producer with theatrical releases, awards pedigree, and global distribution - though operating in stop-motion rather than CGI.
• Illumination: US-based major animation studio (Despicable Me, Sing). Comparable as a CGI family-animation theatrical producer, though significantly larger and well-capitalized; serves as the dominant competitor Ulysses faces for family theatrical market share.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/UlyssesFilms
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ulysses-gmbh

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Ulysses Film Production