The Cannes-premiered animated comedy ‘Jim Queen’ has expanded its international distribution network following a strong reception at the Busan International Film Festival, marking the film’s Asian debut. Global Constellation, the sales division of pan-European studio Vuelta, announced new agreements covering multiple territories.
Under the latest deals, Prorom will handle releases in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, and Bulgaria, while HBO has secured first-window pay-TV and streaming rights for Eastern Europe. Additional regional partners include Folkets Bio for Sweden, AS Fidalgo for Norway, Films4You for Portugal, and CDI/LAT-E for Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, and Paraguay. Negotiations for a South Korean release are currently underway.
These new additions build upon an extensive prior sales roster. The film is already represented by I Wonder Pictures in Italy, O’Brother in the Benelux region, Capelight Pictures in Germany, Praesens in Switzerland, Polyfilm in Austria, Elastica/Filmin in Spain, Lev Cinema in Israel, Madman in Australia and New Zealand, Photon Films in Canada, Pandora Filmes/Belas Artes Grupo in Brazil, Pimienta Films in Mexico, and Creative Century in Taiwan. Creative Century Distribution is scheduled to release the film in Taiwanese cinemas on October 23.
For the U.S. market, Global Constellation is evaluating several offers with a release targeted for 2027. Jordan Firstman and Matteo Lane were recently cast as the English-language voices for the leads, Jim and Lucien.
Set in Paris, the narrative follows Jim, a fitness-obsessed influencer and top figure in the city’s gay community. His life unravels when a mysterious virus known as Heterosis begins converting gay men to heterosexual, causing him to lose his social status and followers. With only his loyal admirer Lucien by his side, the duo ventures into the Marais district seeking a rogue doctor who may possess a cure.
The film made its world premiere at Cannes, where festival programmer Thierry Frémaux described the screening as “one of the most beautiful in the festival’s history” regarding audience atmosphere. Upon its French theatrical release on June 17, it opened at No. 3 on the box office chart, trailing behind ‘Toy Story 5’ and ‘Backrooms.’ It has since garnered over 385,000 admissions and earned more than $3 million domestically.
In a review for Variety, critic Guy Lodge compared the film’s rapid escalation of absurdity to ‘South Park,’ noting that its bold animation style—characterized by clean lines and pastel colors reminiscent of 1980s mall decor—signals that the story should not be taken too seriously.
Directors Nguyen and Athané, both graduates of the Gobelins school, co-wrote the screenplay with Simon Balteaux and Brice Chevillard. Their collective credits include acclaimed titles such as ‘The Summit of the Gods,’ ‘Ernest & Celestine,’ ‘The Big Bad Fox and Other Tales,’ ‘The Swallows of Kabul,’ ‘The Rabbi’s Cat,’ and ‘The Red Turtle.’
Paris-based Bobbypills produced the film alongside David Alric and Arthur Delabays. The studio is known for James Gunn’s DC Studios series ‘Creature Commandos,’ ‘Captain Laserhawk: A Blood Dragon Remix,’ a Netflix series produced with Ubisoft Film & Television, and Netflix features ‘Crisis Jung’ and ‘Vermin.’ Co-producer Umedia contributed work on ‘The Count of Monte Cristo’ and ‘The Night of the Zoocalypse.’ The project received funding from Eurimages, the CNC’s Avance sur recettes, and regional bodies including Nouvelle-Aquitaine, Charente, and Réunion.
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