Studio TF1 Unveils $25 Million Original Animated Feature “Yes Chef”

At the Annecy Animation Film Festival, Studio TF1 disclosed plans for “Yes Chef” (French title “Oui Chef”), a family-oriented animated comedy set in an anthropomorphic animal world that revolves around a long-running televised pastry competition. The narrative follows duos such as a grandmother sheep and her teenage lamb, deer cousins, and twin cat sisters as they contend with increasingly extravagant challenges that eventually prompt a rebellion against the show’s host, chef André Lamour.

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The film is co-produced by Studio TF1, Matthieu Zeller’s Octopolis, and nWave Pictures, with animation contributions from nWave Studios, Octopolis, and Blue Spirit. Directors Annie Carrel and Benjamin Mousquet—both veterans of the “Chickenhare” series—lead the project. The screenplay is written by Lauren Hynek and Elizabeth Martin, whose credits include Disney’s live-action “Mulan” and Skydance Animation’s “Spellbound.” International sales will be managed by Rodolphe Buet and Alice Damiani, while UMedia serves as the tax-shelter partner.

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The announcement arrives as French animation continues to outperform its market size internationally, despite emerging pressures from artificial-intelligence tools and evolving production models. Recent high-profile French contributions include Pierre Coffin’s work on Illumination’s “Minions & Monsters.” Zeller’s prior production, the “Chickenhare” sequel, recorded 858,000 admissions in France last year, underscoring the commercial viability of modest-budget European animation.

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“Yes Chef” carries a production budget of $25 million, positioning it alongside nWave’s recent features—modest by U.S. studio standards but ambitious for Europe. The film will employ a fully integrated Maya-Houdini pipeline, marking the first nWave title built entirely with that workflow. The budget aligns with nWave’s recent releases, which have demonstrated solid box-office returns relative to their cost structures.

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Studio TF1’s managing director of the film division, Nathalie Toulza Madar, emphasized the depth of the partnership with Zeller, noting that TF1 has never invested as fully alongside an external partner on an animated project. Zeller framed the film as a “real comedy” that leverages current baking-show trends and TikTok-driven food content, while also highlighting the project’s potential to generate a new intellectual-property (IP) brand anchored by theatrical release.

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• “It’s a project on which Studio TF1 has fully partnered with Matthieu Zeller from the very beginning and we’ve been working hand in hand,” — Nathalie Toulza Madar, Managing Director, Studio TF1 Film Division

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• “It’s a real comedy in that world,” — Matthieu Zeller, Producer

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• “The trials pile up with all the comedy and spectacle you can imagine — flour, eggs, falling meringues, fur exploding everywhere.” — Matthieu Zeller, Producer

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• “It’s clearly a new brand, but one that very clearly has IP potential,” — Nathalie Toulza Madar, Managing Director, Studio TF1 Film Division

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• “We have the conviction that building IP begins with the feature film.” — Matthieu Zeller, Producer

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Both TF1 and Zeller stress that the feature film is the cornerstone for future extensions across formats, aiming to create a franchise that appeals to children, parents, and grandparents. The decision to launch theatrically reflects a belief that a cinema event is essential for establishing long-term brand equity and ancillary revenue streams.

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• June 2026: Project announced at Annecy Festival.

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• 2028: Planned theatrical release in French cinemas, followed by international distribution.

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• Post-release: Exploration of ancillary formats (series, merchandising) contingent on box-office performance.

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The source material presents a consistent set of figures and statements; no contradictory data regarding budget, release schedule, or creative personnel were identified. Information on specific international sales targets and detailed technical specifications beyond the Maya-Houdini pipeline remains undisclosed.

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