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Indie Animation Studio's Passion Project Becomes Surprise Hit, Lands U.S. Release
29 Oct
Summary
- Gringo Films, a small Cologne-based studio, adapted a children's book into a €26 million animated feature
- The film, Stitch Head, blends horror tropes with family-friendly comedy and features a top-tier British voice cast
- After facing pandemic-related budget challenges, the film secured financing from its original European partners and a U.K. animation studio

In 2025, a small Cologne-based animation studio, Gringo Films, is celebrating the success of its passion project, the animated feature Stitch Head. The film, which premiered at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival in June 2025, is a whimsical blend of horror tropes and family-friendly comedy.
Gringo Films, run by partners Steve Hudson and Sonja Ewers, optioned the children's book Stitch Head a decade ago and set out to adapt it as a classic European co-production. With a budget of €8 million, they assembled a talented team, including veteran German animation director Toby Genkel, to bring the story to life.
However, the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 threatened to derail the project. Facing a budget gap, Gringo Films turned to their original European partners, who stepped up to help secure the necessary financing, including a significant contribution from U.K.-based animation studio Aniventure.
The final result is a marvel, combining gothic, expressionist imagery with candy-colored spectacle. The film features a top-tier British voice cast, including Sex Education star Asa Butterfield, and a Grammy-nominated score by composer Nick Urata. Impressed by the final product, Briarcliff Entertainment has acquired the U.S. rights and will be releasing Stitch Head theatrically on October 29, 2025.
Against the odds, this small Cologne company has built something big – a monster with a beating heart that may just become a new Halloween classic.




