Rifan Muazin
By Editorial Staff
June 26, 2026
In a move signaling a seismic shift in the international animation landscape, Shanghai-based streaming giant Bilibili and France’s Animation Digital Network (ADN) have officially announced a robust co-production partnership. The agreement, unveiled during a high-profile panel at the Annecy International Animation Festival on June 24, represents a strategic fusion of Chinese production muscle and French creative sensibilities, aimed at capturing a global audience through high-potential intellectual properties (IPs).
As the animation industry grapples with the complexities of digital distribution and the shifting tastes of Gen Z audiences, this "two-layer partnership model" serves as a blueprint for future cross-border collaborations. By combining Bilibili’s massive user base—which exceeds 376 million monthly active users—with the distribution prowess of ADN, the two companies are positioning themselves to dominate the international market for serialized animation.
The Core of the Partnership: Bridging Markets
The collaboration is not merely a licensing agreement but a deep-seated production initiative. Max Wang, a producer at Bilibili, framed the partnership as a concerted effort to "bring the best Chinese and French studios together." This initiative builds upon an existing relationship that has already seen several Bilibili titles migrate to the French ADN platform.
The expansion of this relationship into co-production is intended to solve a perennial industry problem: the difficulty of sourcing and financing "high-potential international IPs." Under the new framework, Bilibili and ADN will provide core financing for select projects, while actively seeking regional partners to round out production budgets and distribution networks.
"We don’t have boundaries about the nationality of the IP," Wang emphasized during the Annecy panel, underscoring Bilibili’s ambition to move beyond domestic content creation and solidify its status as a global hub for animation.
Initial Flagship Projects: Hero Killer and The First Frost
The partnership’s initial output focuses on two distinct genres: high-octane action and intimate character-driven drama.
Hero Killer: A Global Synthesis
The adaptation of the popular South Korean webtoon Hero Killer stands as the partnership’s most ambitious project. Director David Pagaille, speaking at the festival, detailed the creative hurdles of adapting a story steeped in revenge and action.
Pagaille noted that the production process involved a complex negotiation of cultural identity. While working with Passion Paris, he sought to create a series that felt "culturally linked" to France’s deep-seated passion for anime and manga, while simultaneously respecting the source material’s South Korean roots. This "globalization of the art style" was a primary focus for the team, as they worked to synthesize international influences into a cohesive visual language. Pagaille’s work on the series has been framed as a case study in how modern animation directors can navigate the ethics of appropriation while paying homage to the stylistic traditions they grew up with.
The First Frost: A Character-Driven Departure
In stark contrast to the kinetic energy of Hero Killer, director Dong Yi’s The First Frost focuses on nuanced, character-driven storytelling. During the panel, Yi revealed that his creative roots were planted in long-running franchises like Pokémon, but his current project marks a significant stylistic pivot toward emotional intimacy. The series aims to explore the quiet moments of life, offering a counterpoint to the high-stakes action typically favored by major streaming platforms.
A Powerhouse in Flux: Bilibili’s Growth Trajectory
To understand the significance of this partnership, one must examine Bilibili’s meteoric rise. Often described as the "YouTube of China" for its community-driven, interactive approach, the platform has successfully cultivated a loyal following among Gen Z, with host Yue Kang famously referring to the platform as their "playground."
From Fandom to Full-Cycle Production
Bilibili’s evolution from a niche anime fan community into a "full-cycle content and fandom system" is a remarkable case of corporate scaling. The numbers are staggering:
- Library: The platform hosts more than 3,000 acquired titles.
- Production Volume: Since 2017, Bilibili has been involved in over 80 production committees, producing more than 300 original titles—an average of 50 to 60 new projects annually.
- Engagement: The platform boasts 376 million monthly average users, with an impressive average daily screen time of 119 minutes per user.
This growth has been supported by strategic partnerships with industry titans including Disney, Kadokawa, and Aniplex, which have provided the technical and creative scaffolding for Bilibili’s aggressive expansion.
Incubating the Future: Universe Awards and Anthologies
The partnership with ADN is supported by Bilibili’s existing infrastructure for creative incubation. During the Annecy panel, the team highlighted the "Bilibili Universe Award," a program designed to take artists from the concept stage—often through shorts and commercials—to full-scale television series and feature films.
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A prime example presented at the festival was False Memory. The project, which originated as a short animation, has been expanded into a series that captures the frantic, chaotic energy of cult classics like FLCL. The debut of its trailer was a standout moment at the event, showcasing the high production values Bilibili is willing to invest in its homegrown talent.
Additionally, the company highlighted the success of Capsules, an anthology series that has produced over 45 original short films. Garnering over 100 million views between 2022 and 2026, Capsules serves as a laboratory for new visual styles and narrative techniques that eventually make their way into larger, multi-episode productions.
The Three-Body Global Creator Project
Perhaps the most significant evidence of Bilibili’s global ambitions is the Three-Body Global Creator Project. As a spin-off of the highly successful Three-Body Problem animated series, this six-part anthology represents Bilibili’s flagship IP.
By commissioning episodes between 15 and 30 minutes, Bilibili is testing a "modular" storytelling format that can be easily localized for international markets. The company views The Three-Body Problem as the "ground" upon which it can present a sci-fi world that appeals to a universal audience, proving that Chinese-originated IP can compete on the same stage as Western and Japanese science fiction.
Implications for the Global Market
The collaboration between Bilibili and ADN has profound implications for the animation industry:
- Normalization of Cross-Border Co-Production: This deal proves that streaming services are increasingly willing to share risk and resources across borders. By moving away from a "territory-first" strategy, these companies are effectively creating a globalized production pipeline.
- The Decline of Traditional Boundaries: As Director David Pagaille noted, the "nationality of the IP" is becoming less relevant than the "global appeal of the narrative." We are entering an era where a Chinese streamer and a French distributor adapt a South Korean comic for a global audience.
- The "Anime-Style" as a Global Esperanto: The animation world is increasingly adopting a visual language that transcends borders. Whether it is a Chinese studio working with a French director or a Korean webtoon being adapted in Paris, the "anime aesthetic" has become a common ground that allows these international teams to collaborate seamlessly.
Conclusion
The Bilibili-ADN partnership is more than just a headline from the Annecy Animation Festival; it is a clear indicator of where the industry is heading. By blending massive streaming reach with a commitment to diverse, high-quality IP incubation, Bilibili is not just reacting to the market—it is helping to shape it. As these new projects move from production to release, the success of Hero Killer and The First Frost will likely determine the velocity of future cross-continental alliances. For creators and viewers alike, the message is clear: the future of animation is collaborative, international, and increasingly unbounded by geography.
Layla Zulfa
Nana
