Yakari Brave Heart : Pan Distribution will handle French theatrical distribution

Pan Distribution will handle French theatrical distribution of Yakari: Brave Heart, targeting family audiences from age five, with a planned release in first half 2027. Produced by Ellipse Animation and Belvision with a €9.3 million budget, the film is written and directed by Xavier Giacometti, who previously helmed the TV series and the first feature adaptation.

When Yakari’s friend, Buffalo-Seed, threatens to fall into the world of dreams, Rainbow reveals her medicinal knowledge to keep him conscious while Yakari sets off with the spirited mustang Little Thunder in search of the only being capable of waking him: his guardian animal, the great bison Tathanka! A great adventure across the vast plains where you will meet beavers, a grumpy grizzly, a mischievous little chipmunk, and many other characters. 

A long-standing success in publishing and audiovisual, Yakari includes 42 comic book volumes translated into 24 languages, five animated series and a feature film released in 2020. The property continues to perform strongly with younger audiences and families, carrying strong values of discovery, courage, and respect for nature. 

This new feature film, with Pierre Reyssat as artistic producer, has been developed through extensive research and documentation on Lakota culture, conducted with Maurice Rebeix, an academic, author, and adventurer. The film also benefited from direct collaboration with Lucas Brown Eyes, a Lakota screenwriter, and Andrew Iron Shell, an activist dedicated to the preservation of traditional Lakota culture.