Creator of ‘Masha and the Bear’ Returns with New Studio and Original Feature Film in Pre-production
Skwigly
Following the recent expiration of the exclusive license he granted to Animaccord, Oleg Kuzovkov has regained exclusive creative control over his beloved characters, Masha and the Bear. The new venture, named Studio MiM LLC, is an independent innovative animation studio dedicated to celebrating the creative philosophy that defined the original series’ golden era. Studio MiM’s creative team is combining modern production solutions with the handcrafted 3D animation and Oleg’s hands-on character-driven storytelling that made Masha and the Bear a cultural touchstone.
The Studio MiM LLC film in pre-production is the first of a series of multiple animated feature films that represent a clean break from the Animaccord series. The creative team will introduce global audiences to a rebooted vision of the characters as they explore new adventures in their unique kind-hearted comedy manner. The plan is set to complete a production pipeline of the first full length feature film starring Masha and the Bear by the end of 2028.
I’m truly touched by this opportunity to expand the world of Masha and the Bear to its first long-form feature. It’s an exciting creative challenge – one that I wholeheartedly embrace – and my wonderfully creative and excited team is equally energized and eager to bring it to life with the same spirit, humor, and heart that made the old series so beloved.
Oleg Kuzovkov, Founder and Creator
Building a world-class animation studio from scratch in both Los Angeles and Moscow is nothing new for Kuzovkov – it is, in fact, exactly how Masha and the Bear began. Long before streaming algorithms started dictating what children watch, Oleg Kuzovkov had already cracked the code. The writer, director and animator conceived Masha and the Bear in the late 1990s coming up with a perfect balance of non-dialogue comedy, music and top-notch quality. The animation studio (Animaccord) that produced the series’ celebrated seasons was itself assembled by Kuzovkov from the ground up back in 2008, when he drew together artists along with multi-instrumentalist composer Vasily Bogatirev and sound engineer Boris Kutnevich who is also Bear’s voice. The result was a Guinness World Record, a Kidscreen Award for Best Animation, and a single episode surpassing 4.6 billion views on YouTube — making it the most-watched non-music video in the platform’s history. Animation Magazine named the series one of television’s “Destined to become Classics.”