Toronto-based animation studio Arc Productions (Gnomeo and Juliet, 9) is pacting with Tayrona Entertainment Group to make four animated movies.

Arc will provide a CG-look to a multi-picture co-production partnership unveiled at the Toronto International Film Festival by  Tayrona president James Ordonez and Jeff Young, president and COO of Arc Productions.

The two companies will bring two films each to the slate deal, with the first to be The Legends of the Underzoo, an Arc Productions property from a screenplay by Kevin Almeida and Jeff Treppel.

A newly-launched Tayrona Animation division is developing another two properties, Darwin: A Galapagos Love Story, and Aurora, The Spirit Bear of the North.

A fourth project is yet to be identified.

The Tayrona deal comes as Arc Productions, the former Starz Animation Toronto facility, looking to grow its production slate since becoming Canadian-owned.

Tayrona Entertainment Group is headquartered in Toronto and Los Angeles.