France has established itself over time as a respected producer of animated content. French feature films, in particular, generate international interest, both among critics and audiences. Each year, the industry approves several animated films which will be shown in cinemas. Although inconsistent over the past few years, this number rose to twelve feature films in 2020. Total annual production costs vary widely each year as well, peaking at more than 160 million euros in 2016 due to the release of two exceptionally expensive movies that year: "The Little Prince" and "Animal Kingdom: Let's Go Ape".
The animation sector is also in full expansion as the number of active companies in animated movie production in France has exploded, ranging from 68 in 2004 to 163 in 2020. The same is true for the annual payroll of the movie production sector, which reached a total of 185 million euros in 2020.
The French public is particularly fond of animated films and does not hesitate to rush and see the latest release with family or friends. Fans of animated films can be found in all age categories, although children make up a large share of the audience. Almost fourty animated films of all origins are screened on average in theatres in France, more than 20 percent of them French. Between 2011 and 2020, the Frozen 2 movie was the most popular animated feature at the box office, followed by "Minions" and "Ice Age: Continental Drift".
The broadcasting of animated content on television is not to be outdone and has increased by more than 3,000 hours since 2008, mostly broadcast on television channels like France 4 or Gulli. France distinguishes itself from the rest of the world by broadcasting an annual total of nearly six thousand hours of animated programs for younger viewers on television, which is almost twice as much as in the United States.
