The remaining 50% of the shares are held by Hans Ulrich Stoef and Jo Daris, directors of Toon2Tango, who will jointly control Leonine Animation Studios.
Leonine Holding GmbH announced the acquisition of a 50% stake in Toon2Tango and the creation of Leonine Animation Studios, a platform from which they will take control of the business together with the directors and founders of Toon2Tango, Hans Ulrich Stoef and Jo Daris, who will control the other 50%.
In October 2023, Leonine Holding, a company based in Germany, acquired a 25.1% stake in Toon2Tango GmbH & Co. Recently, they have increased their stake in the studio, which has now become a subsidiary of Leonine Animation Studios. Moreover, in 2025, Leonine can acquire a controlling majority in Toon2Tango.
Toon2Tango was founded four years ago by Stoef and Daris, two European animation veterans whose credits include the internationally successful series Mia and Me. The company’s programming includes animated series such as Monster Loving Maniacs, Agent 203, and Maya the Bee: The Honey Games, a spin-off of the popular children’s animated franchise.
Leonine Animation Studios is a growth and investment platform for developing, producing, and acquiring new IPs with international reach. Initial projects include the production of the animated feature film Santa.com, to be released in German cinemas in 2025 through Leonine Studios, and the spin-off TV series of the well-known film franchise Niko, as well as the development of the series Littlest Robot, which was presented at the Cartoon Forum in Toulouse in September 2023, and the preschool series Hey Fuzzy Yellow, currently in production.
Bernhard zu Castell, Head of Distribution at Leonine Studios, noted that the growth of this partnership is an important strategic step for its positioning in the animation sector. “Since our investment in Toon2Tango in October 2022, we have completed successful series such as Agent 203 and Monster Loving Maniacs, among others, which have sold extremely well worldwide. Developing, producing, and acquiring great IP fits perfectly with our leadership position in marketing and distribution, allowing us to create holistic brand worlds ranging from movies and home entertainment to radio dramas and podcasts,” he said.
Hans Ulrich Stoef, CEO and producer of Toon2Tango, commented that they are pleased to take the next step in the rapid development of Toon2Tango. “We have found the perfect combination that offers us both the creative freedom and the financial support needed to expand in production, distribution, and IP constantly and brings us closer to our goal of becoming one of Europe’s leading animation companies.”
