French Studio UGC and Xilam Animation Team Up for Thrilling 'Empire of the Ants' Adaptation
Renowned French studio, UGC, has joined forces with Oscar-nominated animation powerhouse, Xilam Animation, to adapt Bernard Werber's cult thriller novel "Empire of the Ants" into a hybrid live-action/CG series. The ambitious project aims to bring this 35-year-old bestseller, which has sold seven million copies worldwide, to a new generation of audiences.
The partnership brings together two prominent players in France's audiovisual landscape: UGC, with its esteemed library including Jean-Pierre Jeunet's "Amelie" and hit series "HPI," and Xilam, the prolific animation studio behind hits like "Oggy and the Cockroaches." The venture has been met with excitement, as Werber himself has expressed his enthusiasm for this adaptation, saying it will bring a unique level of ambition to his universe.
The two-part series promises to delve into intricate world-building and philosophical undercurrents characteristic of Werber's work. The narrative will follow two intertwined investigations: a human-world murder mystery surrounding the death of renowned myrmecologist Edmond Wells, and an ant-world political thriller centered on a Queen and her militant guard hiding a secret that could threaten their colony.
To bring this complex universe to life, Xilam and UGC have assembled a talented team. Vladimir Haulet will write the script, while Nicolas Deveaux, accompanied by Quentin Reubrecht ("Arcane," "I Lost My Body"), will oversee high-end visual effects for the ant civilization. The production team is led by Marc du Pontavice and Caterina Gonnelli for Xilam, alongside Franck Calderon and Céline d'Asaro Biondo for UGC.
The upcoming series has all the makings of a global phenomenon, appealing to both young and adult viewers alike. With its blend of live-action and cutting-edge visual effects, "Empire of the Ants" is poised to captivate audiences worldwide, making it an exciting addition to the world of entertainment.
Renowned French studio, UGC, has joined forces with Oscar-nominated animation powerhouse, Xilam Animation, to adapt Bernard Werber's cult thriller novel "Empire of the Ants" into a hybrid live-action/CG series. The ambitious project aims to bring this 35-year-old bestseller, which has sold seven million copies worldwide, to a new generation of audiences.
The partnership brings together two prominent players in France's audiovisual landscape: UGC, with its esteemed library including Jean-Pierre Jeunet's "Amelie" and hit series "HPI," and Xilam, the prolific animation studio behind hits like "Oggy and the Cockroaches." The venture has been met with excitement, as Werber himself has expressed his enthusiasm for this adaptation, saying it will bring a unique level of ambition to his universe.
The two-part series promises to delve into intricate world-building and philosophical undercurrents characteristic of Werber's work. The narrative will follow two intertwined investigations: a human-world murder mystery surrounding the death of renowned myrmecologist Edmond Wells, and an ant-world political thriller centered on a Queen and her militant guard hiding a secret that could threaten their colony.
To bring this complex universe to life, Xilam and UGC have assembled a talented team. Vladimir Haulet will write the script, while Nicolas Deveaux, accompanied by Quentin Reubrecht ("Arcane," "I Lost My Body"), will oversee high-end visual effects for the ant civilization. The production team is led by Marc du Pontavice and Caterina Gonnelli for Xilam, alongside Franck Calderon and Céline d'Asaro Biondo for UGC.
The upcoming series has all the makings of a global phenomenon, appealing to both young and adult viewers alike. With its blend of live-action and cutting-edge visual effects, "Empire of the Ants" is poised to captivate audiences worldwide, making it an exciting addition to the world of entertainment.
Also, who's this Vladimir Haulet guy writing the script? Can't find any info on him... or is he just some French animation dude?
gotta love that ugc and xilam are teaming up for this adaptation, can't wait to see how they bring the world-building to life 
and what's up with these ant politics tho? does anyone else think it'll be good with all the live action and animation?
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. I mean don't get me wrong, the idea of ants with their own world and politics sounds pretty cool, but can we please just keep it under 10 episodes? my attention span is already tested 
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- Xilam and UGC are like the conservatives and liberals teaming up to bring this classic novel to life. I'm curious to see how they balance out their creative visions, but at the end of the day, it's all about the final product, right? 
Only time (and the final product) will tell! 
. The fact that they're teaming up with UGC and Xilam Animation is a no-brainer - it's like the audiovisual equivalent of finding your soulmate 
. Can't wait to see how they bring this intricate world to life, especially with Vladimir Haulet writing the script... fingers crossed he doesn't make me want to pull my hair out 
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. I've heard great things about Xilam Animation and UGC, so it's awesome to see them teaming up for something as ambitious as this. The idea of exploring intricate world-building and philosophical undercurrents is really intriguing - I'm already hyped to dive into the ant-world politics and human murder mystery 
. Seven million copies sold worldwide? That's crazy! I hope they can live up to the hype and bring this universe to life in a way that'll blow our minds 
It's like, Bernard Werber's universe just got taken to a whole new level! 
. And let's be real, with a team led by Marc du Pontavice & Caterina Gonnelli from Xilam and Franck Calderon & Céline d'Asaro Biondo from UGC, I'm like, totally expecting this series to be a global phenomenon 
! Can we talk about how exciting it is that they're bringing this 35-year-old novel to a new generation of audiences? 
It's gonna be so cool to see the ant world come to life in all its glory 
I'M SO STOKED FOR THIS NEW SERIES!!! 
You can't stop the ants from marching! 
This adaptation sounds like a game-changer for both UGC and Xilam. It's amazing how a 35-year-old novel can still captivate audiences and inspire new generations. I'm excited to see what kind of unique blend of live-action and CGI they'll bring to this complex universe. The combination of philosophical undercurrents and intricate world-building is gonna be mind-blowing! 
Can't wait to dive into the world of "Empire of the Ants"! 
. But hey, I guess we'll just have to wait and see how it all comes together... probably won't be as good as the book, but who knows 
I'm so down for this adaptation! I mean, who wouldn't want to see ants with militant guards and a queen hiding secrets? 
And combining live-action with CG is going to make it look AMAZING!!!