Cartoon Saloon is an Irish animation studio based in Kilkenny. The studio is best known for its animated feature films The Secret of Kells, Song of the Sea, The Breadwinner, and Wolfwalkers. Their works have received five Academy Award nominations, their first four feature length works all received nominations for Best Animated Feature and one for Best Animated Short Film (Late Afternoon). The company also developed the cartoon series Skunk Fu!, Puffin Rock, Dorg Van Dango and Vikingskool. As of 2020, the studio employs 300 animators.
History Cartoon Saloon was established in Kilkenny during 1999 by Tomm Moore, Nora Twomey, and Paul Young. The three were all alumni of the Ballyfermot College of Further Education’s animation degree course. Cartoon Saloon began working on a trailer for its first feature film, The Secret of Kells, that same year. However, the film did not enter full production until 2005; the company animated corporate work such as advertisements as they searched for funding. Meanwhile the studio of 12 animators relied on commercial and corporate work including web-site design and CD ROM production with Paul Young focusing on illustration whilst Tomm Moore undertook the animation.
Both The Secret of Kells and the studio’s second feature Song of the Sea were inspired by The Thief and the Cobbler and Mulan while the founders were in university. Tomm Moore, the director of both films, said "Some friends in college and I were inspired by Richard Williams' unfinished masterpiece The Thief and the Cobbler and the Disney movie Mulan, which took indigenous traditional art as the starting point for a beautiful style of 2D animation. I felt that something similar could be done with Irish art." A 2001 meeting with Les Armateurs proved instrumental in the effort to secure funding for The Secret of Kells, and the company helped in the production of the final film.
The success and Oscar nomination of the film in 2009 led to major offers for Cartoon Saloon, but the studio chose to remain independent. This led to a difficult time financially for the company for a few years with the partners having to take out personal loans to keep the studio afloat.
As of 2026, Cartoon Saloon is in production of its TV series, My Brother The Minotaur and two feature films.
Services The studio provides animation, illustration and design services for clients ranging from Disney to BBC to Cartoon Network.
Cartoon Saloon also provided the graphics for the successful Emperor of the Irish exhibition at Trinity College Dublin, in 2014.
Filmography Feature films Released Title Release date Budget Gross Rotten Tomatoes Metacritic The Secret of Kells 3 March 2009 19 March 2010 (US) $8 million $3.5 million 90% 81 Song of the Sea 19 December 2014 (US) 10 July 2015 (UK & Ireland) $7.5 million $4.4 million 99% 85 The Breadwinner 17 November 2017 (US)25 May 2018 (UK & Ireland) $1 million $4.4 million 95% 78 Wolfwalkers 30 October 2020 (UK Limited)13 November 2020 (US Limited)4 December 2020 (Ireland Limited)11 December 2020 (Apple TV+) €10 million $1.3 million 99% 87 My Father's Dragon 4 November 2022 (UK US and Ireland Limited)11 November 2022 (Netflix) TBATBA87%74Puffin Rock and the New Friends14 July 2023 (Ireland Limited)11 August 2023 (UK Limited)16 April 2024TBA$51K100%TBAJulián2026TBATBATBATBA
Upcoming Title Release Ref. Kindred SpiritsTBA
Cancelled Title Note Skunk Fu! Based on the TV series of the same name.
Short films # Title Release date 1 From Darkness 2 Cúilín Dualach 3 Old Fangs 4 Somewhere Down the Line 5 The Ledge End of Phil: From Accounting 6 Late Afternoon 7 There's a Monster In My Kitchen 8 Star Wars: Visions: Screecher's Reach 9 Éiru
Television series Produced # Title Premiere date End date Network 1 Skunk Fu! CBBC/TG4/RTÉ2/Kids' WB 2 Anam an Amhráin TG4 3 Puffin Rock present RTÉjr/Nick Jr./CBeebies/Netflix 4 Cúl an Tí TG4 5 Dorg Van DangoNew original kids’ series, co-produced with Cartoon Saloon, expected to roll out in 2020 , Skwigly RTÉ/Nickelodeon/Family Channel, co-produced with WildBrain 6 Vikingskool 2022 Disney EMEA (Disney+), France Televisions, NRK, RTÉ 7 Silly Sundays 2023 present RTÉjr/Cartoon Network 8 My Brother The Minotaur 2026 present Apple TV
Upcoming # Title Premiere date End date Network 9 Ellie the Ace TBA TBA 10 Mebh and the Wolf Pups TBA TBA
Rejected Title Note Eddie of the Realms Eternal Pitched to Amazon The World According to Winnie the Pooh Pitched to Disney Television Animation Based on the Winnie the Pooh franchise.
Cooperative works Lighthouse Studios Lighthouse Studios was founded in 2017 by the studio and Mercury Filmworks. Year Title Role Notes2015–2021 If You Give a Mouse a Cookie Co-production With Kuboaa! and Amazon Studios2017–2019 Pete the Cat Co-production With Amazon Studios, Alcon Television Group, Appian Way Productions and Surfer Jack Studios2019–2020 The Bug Diaries Co-production2021 Little Ellen Co-production With Ellen Digital Ventures, Telepictures and Warner Bros. Animation2022 The Cuphead Show! Co-production With Netflix Animation, King Features Syndicate and Studio MDHR2022 The Bob's Burgers Movie Co-production With 20th Century Studios, Bento Box, Wilo Productions, Golden Wolf, and Tonic DNA2022 El Deafo Co-production2023 Rick and Morty Co-production For 5 episodes, with Williams Street and Justin Roiland's Solo Vanity Card Productions!, among others2025 Goldie Co-production Apple Studios, Mercury Filmworks, and Li'l Toughy2025 Fixed Co-production With Sony Pictures Animation and Renegade Animation2025 Light of the World Co-production With The Salvation Poem Project and Epipheo2026 Backyard Sports: The Animated Special Co-production With Playground Productions
Other Year Title Role Notes2010 Santa's Apprentice Co-production Animation production by Gaumont Alphanim2011 Top Cat: The Movie Co-production Animation production by Ánima Estudios, as well as Illusion Studios2012 Moon Man Co-production Animation production by Schesch Filmkreation2014 The Prophet Segment (On Love) Animation production by Ventanarosa2021 Belle Background work Animation production by Studio Chizu
Awards and nominations
The Secret of Kells Wins 2008: Directors Finders Award at the Directors Finders Series in Ireland 2009: Audience Award at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival 2009: Audience Award at the Edinburgh International Film Festival 2009: Roy E. Disney Award at Seattle's 2D Or Not 2D Film Festival 2009: Grand Prize at the Seoul International Cartoon and Animation FestivalThe Secret of Kells wins Grand Prize at SICAF official site 2009: Audience Award at the 9th Kecskemét Animation Film Festival; Kecskemét City Prize at the 6th Festival of European Animated Feature Films and TV SpecialsA 9. Kecskeméti Animációs Filmfesztivál és a 6. Nemzetközi Animációs Fesztivál díjai (English: "Awards "). Kecskeméti Animáció Film Fesztivál. 2009. 2010: Nominated for Best Animation award at the 7th Irish Film and Television Awards 2010: European Animated Feature Award at the British Animation Awards
Nominations 2009: Grand Prix Award for Best Film in the Annecy International Animation Film Festival 2009: Best Animated Film at the 22nd European Film Awards 2009: Best Animated Feature at the 37th Annie Awards 2010: Best Film at the 7th Irish Film and Television Awards 2010: Best Animated Feature at the 82nd Academy Awards
Song of the Sea Year Award Category Recipients Results 2014Festival International des Voix du Cinéma d'Animation (Port Leucate, France)Prix Spécial du Jury Song of the Sea 2015 42nd Annual Annie AwardsBest Animated FeatureTomm Moore, Paul Young Character Design in an Animated Feature ProductionTomm Moore, Marie Thorhauge, Sandra Anderson, Rosa Ballester Cabo Directing in an Animated Feature ProductionTomm Moore Music in a Feature ProductionBruno Coulais & Kíla Production Design in an Animated Feature ProductionAdrien Merigeau Writing in an Animated Feature ProductionWill Collins Editorial in an Animated Feature ProductionDarragh Byrne 19th Satellite Awards Best Animated or Mixed Media Feature Song of the Sea 40th César AwardsBest Animated Feature FilmSong of the Sea87th Academy AwardsBest Animated Feature Tomm Moore and Paul Young12th Irish Film & Television AwardsBest FilmSong of the SeaBest Film ScriptWill Collins28th European Film Awards Best Animated Feature Film Song of the Sea 20166th Magritte AwardsBest Foreign Film in CoproductionSong of the Sea21st Empire Awards Best Animated Film Song of the Sea 2017 2nd Irish Animation AwardsBest Irish Feature Film or SpecialSong of the Sea
The Breadwinner Award Date of ceremony Category Recipients Result Academy Awards 4 March 2018 Best Animated Feature Nora Twomey and Anthony Leo Annie Awards 3 February 2018 Best Animated Feature — Independent The Breadwinner Character Design in an Animated Feature Production Reza Riahi, Louise Bagnall, Alice Dieudonné Directing in an Animated Feature Production Nora Twomey Music in an Animated Feature Production Mychael Danna, Jeff Danna Production Design in an Animated Feature Production Ciaran Duffy, Julien Regnard, Daby Zainab Faidhi Storyboarding in an Animated Feature Production Julien Regnard Voice Acting in an Animated Feature Production Saara Chaudry Laara Sadiq Writing in an Animated Feature Production Anita Doron Editorial in an Animated Feature Production Darragh Byrne Canadian Screen Awards 11 March 2018 Best Picture Andrew Rosen, Anthony Leo, Paul Young, Tomm Moore, Stéphan Roelants Best Adapted Screenplay Anita Doron Best Editing Darragh Byrne Best Sound Editing Nelson Ferreira, John Elliot, J. R. Fountain, Dashen Naidoo, Tyler Whitham Best Original Score Mychael Danna, Jeff Danna Best Original Song "The Crown Sleeps", Qais Essar and Joshua Hill Critics' Choice Movie Awards 11 January 2018 Best Animated Feature The Breadwinner Golden Globe Awards 7 January 2018 Best Animated Feature Film The Breadwinner Golden Tomato Awards 3 January 2018 Best Animated Movie 2017 The Breadwinner Irish Animation Awards 23 March 2019 Best Irish Feature Film or Special The Breadwinner Los Angeles Film Critics Association 13 January 2018 Best Animated Film The Breadwinner Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association 8 December 2017 Best Animated Feature The Breadwinner
Wolfwalkers