Troublemakers Originals Secures Canal+ and Arte Projects
The Paris-based producer has landed a pre-buy for animated series Dark Woods and a coproduction on documentary Louder Than Bombs.
Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Documentary
Troublemakers Originals, co-founded by James Hagger and Jean Méranger-Galtier, has secured a pre-buy from Canal+ for the animated series Dark Woods and is coproducing the documentary Louder Than Bombs with Arte.
Why it matters
The deals extend the company's output across animated series and documentaries, a mix that includes its work on animated specials, documentaries and drama series. Securing broadcaster backing for both projects helps move them toward production.
Dark Woods is a 1×26' animated series backed by a Canal+ pre-buy and Louder Than Bombs is a 1×30' documentary being coproduced with Arte. Financing terms and total budgets for both projects have not been disclosed.
The players
Troublemakers Originals
A Paris-based production company that makes animated specials, documentaries and drama series, and has produced commercials for brands including Van Cleef & Arpels, Louis Vuitton and Riot Games.
Canal+
A French pay-TV broadcaster that provided a pre-buy for the animated series Dark Woods.
Arte
A Franco-German public broadcaster that is coproducing the documentary Louder Than Bombs with Troublemakers Originals.
The details
Dark Woods, based on a webcomic by Estrela Lourenço, was pitched at Cartoon Forum in 2024 and is supported by the CNC's Audiovisual Support Fund. Originally developed by João Carrilho of Portuguese studio Fly Moustache, the series is being written by Nuno Soler under the supervision of Méranger-Galtier.
Timeline
2008: Troublemakers was set up by James Hagger.
2024: Dark Woods was pitched at Cartoon Forum.
Early 2027: Louder Than Bombs is set to air on Arte.
Early 2028: Dark Woods is set to air on RTP in Portugal and Mega in Greece.
Market Landscape
Dark Woods' 2024 pitch at Cartoon Forum places it within the European animation co-production pipeline, where projects are shopped to broadcasters before production. The Canal+ pre-buy reflects how European producers increasingly rely on pre-sales from pay-TV and public broadcasters to finance animated series.
Viewers in the broadcasters' markets will be able to watch Louder Than Bombs on Arte in early 2027 and Dark Woods on RTP in Portugal and Mega in Greece in early 2028. No streaming or regional availability details beyond these broadcasters have been announced.
The takeaway
Co-financing with broadcasters like Canal+ and Arte remains central to how independent European producers bring animation and documentary projects to air. Watching how these deals convert into finished programs will show whether the model holds for mixed-format slates.
What happens next
Louder Than Bombs is scheduled to air on Arte in early 2027, and Dark Woods is scheduled to air on RTP and Mega in early 2028.
Further reading
Explore more Documentary coverage for context on the production deals behind this story.
Source note: This article includes information reported by C21Media.
