Animated Unicorn Feature Secures Global Distribution Before Los Angeles Premiere

The Playmaker Munich has finalized distribution agreements for the animated feature “The Unicorn That Said No” across multiple international territories. The sales agency secured these deals ahead of the film’s market premiere, which is scheduled for next month in Los Angeles. The company has already placed the movie with local partners in ten distinct regions.

The film is based on “Das Neinhorn,” a bestseller by Marc-Uwe Kling and Astrid Henn. The original book has been translated into more than 25 languages. The story follows a grumpy unicorn who leaves his idyllic family home for a place called Nowhere. There, he finds new friends and they work together to rescue the king’s daughter from a tower.

Kling directs the film alongside Johannes Weiland and Studio Soi. The screenplay was written by Kling and Marcus Sauermann. Kling also provides the voice for the main character in the German version. The voice cast includes Nora Tschirner, Torsten Sträter, and Karoline Herfurth.

Production is a collaboration between X Filme Creative Pool and Studio Soi. Warner Bros. Film Productions Germany serves as a co-producer and the distributor in Germany. The movie will open in German theaters on Jan. 1, 2027. The production team includes producers Uwe Schott, Nicole Kellerhals, and Carsten Bunte. Music was composed by Felix Raffel, with the main song written by Dota Kehr.

The project received financial support from MFG, MDM, BKM, FFA, and Kuratorium Junger Deutscher Film. The film will screen at 11 a.m. on Nov. 11 at AMC Century City in Los Angeles. The Playmaker Munich team will be based at the Fairmont Century Plaza during the American Film Market.

Sylvia Edelmann, head of sales at The Playmaker, noted that it is unusual to secure so many territories before the film has screened for buyers. “It’s wonderful to see so many territories on board before the film has even screened,” she said. She added that the book’s global popularity makes the animation a natural fit for new audiences.

The international deals cover a wide geographic spread. Unlimited Media will handle the Baltic states, while WWE Rights will distribute in Benelux. KMBO will release the film in France, and Grand Entertainment for Motion Pictures will manage the Middle East. M2 Films will distribute in Poland, and Idea Film will handle Romania. Another World Entertainment covers Scandinavia, Pack Magic covers Spain, and Orjinlab will release the film in Turkey.