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Spain’s Arriate Studio and Mexico’s ¡Viva Calavera! are bringing Halloween and Christmas together in Samhain, an animated feature in development based on Lobón Leal’s popular 2024 graphic novel.
Leal and María Luquero are co-directing, with Leal also handling art direction and adapting his book for the screen. Calavera Hermanos are co-producing and leading animation direction.
Just in time for Halloween, we’re excited to debut the project’s first trailer below:
The fantasy adventure is Arriate’s first feature project
The fantasy adventure is Arriate’s first feature project and brings together the young Andalusian company with the buzzy Mexican studio behind Cartoon Network Latin America’s hugely popular Rey Mysterio vs. The Darknessseries. The planned film will run roughly 90 minutes, mixing 2D and 3D animation for a young adult audience.
Samhain follows Mika, a young magical creature who dreams of finding a land of candy beyond the border separating her forest home from the human world. When she, her brother Miko, and their friend Frigo discover a crashed sleigh, they cross that border into a barren, colorless world where magic and nature are exploited for profit.
There, they meet Miss Allsaints, a witch who makes money from magic, and Don Papi, the film’s unique version of Santa Claus. Drawing on folklore and fairy tales, the adventure explores how Halloween and Christmas have become big business, and what that means for the natural world.
Based in Chiclana de la Frontera, Cádiz, Arriate
Based in Chiclana de la Frontera, Cádiz, Arriate is involved in animation production, original project development, and illustrated-book publishing. Leal and Luquero founded the studio alongside executive producer Cristina Fernández. Their previous credits include Spain’s biggest TV (Pocoyo) and film (Tad the Lost Explorer) IPs.
According to the studio founders, its mission is to support artist-led projects and create more opportunities outside Spain’s established animation hubs of Madrid and Barcelona. With Samhain, that means taking a homegrown comic to the screen with an international partner. Of the Samhainproject, they tell us:
This is exactly the kind of milestone we dreamed of when we created Arriate Studio. Building original stories from the periphery, bringing creative projects to life from our corner of the world, and watching them grow hand in hand with friends is what makes this journey so special and worthwhile.
Founded in 2014 by the habitually-masked Los Hermanos Calavera, ¡Viva Calavera! specializes in concept development, storyboarding, directing, and visual development for animation, games, and comics. Its Rey Mysterioseries, co-produced with Cartoon Network Latin America and the legendary luchador himself, mixes lucha libre, supernatural adventure, Mexican culture, and anime influences. The studio developed its scripts, storyboards, and conceptual designs, working with production partners across Latin America.
Speaking with us about their new feature project, Los Hermanos Calavera told us:
Collaborating with Arriate on Samhain has been fantastic. Across an ocean, we share sensibilities and the hunger to make something interesting and unique. Lobón’s art and aesthetic sense work very well with our animation style, and we’re excited to bring this story to life beyond the comic book pages.
Leal’s original 308-page book mixes color and black-and-white
Leal’s original 308-page book mixes color and black-and-white imagery, laying the visual groundwork for the film. The settings are a big part of that world, with the magical forest standing in stark contrast to the barren landscape beyond the border.
Global Music Branding composed the teaser’s music and will stay involved as the project develops. A release date for the feature has not yet been announced.
