Netflix and Guillermo del Toro Launch Paris-Based Stop-Motion Studio to Train the Next Generation of Storytellers

In a bold move to secure the future of traditional animation, Netflix, GOBELINS Paris, and Academy Award® winner Guillermo del Toro have announced the creation of a new stop-motion animation studio that will double as a training and research hub. Set within the world-renowned GOBELINS Paris campus, this initiative marks a historic alliance between art, education, and technology.

According to Netflix’s official announcement, the partnership aims to “shape the storytellers of tomorrow” and create a “living laboratory of experimentation and research.” The initiative will unite master filmmakers, passionate mentors, and emerging artists to push the boundaries of stop-motion craft — an art form that del Toro insists remains “AI-proof.”

Del Toro’s Mission: Keeping Stop-Motion Alive in a Digital Age

Speaking at GOBELINS, the Mexican filmmaker behind Pinocchio and The Shape of Water expressed both urgency and optimism about stop-motion’s future. “The names that are important in stop-motion are all over 50 years old,” Guillermo del Toro said. “Stop-motion is perpetually on the brink of extinction — and perpetually preserved by slightly crazy people.”

He underscored the importance of human artistry in an era dominated by artificial intelligence: “In an era in which you can have AI intruding in any other form of animation, this is AI-proof. That is really good.”

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Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos echoed the sentiment, calling stop-motion a uniquely immersive form of filmmaking. “Every discipline you need to make a film — lighting, costume design, cinematography — you do in stop-motion. The human touch of it is something that people see through,” he said.

Oscar Isaac in Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein

A Living Tribute to Mark Gustafson

The new Paris studio will also serve as a tribute to the late Mark Gustafson, co-director of Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio. Gustafson’s work inspired generations of animators, and his influence will continue to shape the program’s philosophy.

The first academic phase will begin in the 2025–2026 school year, with details of student programs and projects expected to roll out in the coming months. Among the studio’s early ambitions is a stop-motion adaptation of Kazuo Ishiguro’s The Buried Giant — one of del Toro’s next creative ventures with Netflix.

 

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Netflix’s Expanding Animation Legacy

This collaboration further strengthens Netflix’s reputation as a champion of global animation. The streamer has previously teamed up with major creative forces like Fortiche (Arcane), TAT (Astérix & Obélix: The Big Fight), and Blue Spirit (Blue Eye Samurai).

For Netflix, the studio is not just a project — it’s a promise. As Guillermo del Toro described, it’s a place “to learn, create, and dream bigger than ever before.”