Paris-based ON Entertainment has opened an animation studio in Montreal.

ON Animation Studio currently employs 25, but the parent company yesterday (Sept. 15) announced its plans to hire 300 animation specialists at the Montreal studio over the next three years.

ON Entertainment produced The Little Prince and Mune: Guardian of the Moon in Montreal in association with local studio, Mikros Image.

In a statement, the company said it intends to increase production to one feature animation film every two years. It is currently working on Playmobil: The Missing Piece.

The new studio will receive financial support from the federal and Quebec provincial governments, including $2.44 million from the Government of Canada and another $2.44 million loan from Investissement Québec.

Minister of Canadian Heritage Mélanie Joly was on hand in Montreal yesterday to announce the investment. “With fast-growing, forward-thinking companies like ON Animation Studio expanding in the province, Québec can develop its animation expertise and enhance Montréal’s global reputation as a leading technology hub,” she said.