Acclaimed French Adult Animated Comedy ‘Jim Queen’ Is Getting A U.S. Theatrical Release After Magnolia Pickup

One of this year’s most joyous French adult animated comedies, Jim Queen, which blew away Cannes and inspired the most raucous screening in Annecy history, according to artistic director Marcel Jean, will get a U.S. release after being picked up by Magnolia Pictures, which is planning an English-language theatrical release for next summer.

The acquisition was announced earlier today by Deadline.

Directed by Marco Nguyen and Nicolas Athané, Jim Queen was produced by French animation studio Bobbypills and Belgium’s Umedia, with animation from Bobbypills, Réunion-based Gao Shan Pictures, and Belgium’s Studio Waooh!. The film follows a muscular gay influencer whose celebrity status evaporates when a mysterious virus begins turning gay men straight. With the help of his devoted admirer Lucien, Jim sets out across Paris’s gay nightlife scene in search of a cure.

The irreverent, vibrant comedy world premiered in Cannes’ Midnight Screenings section, where it was well received by critics and laypeople, praised for its unapologetically queer humor and provocative premise. Variety critic Guy Lodge described it as a queer South Park on steroids.

The film’s English-language dub stars Jordan Firstman (I Love LA, Rotting in the Sun) as the film’s titular lead, alongside comedian Matteo Lane as Lucien. The supporting voice cast includes Nicole Byer, John Cameron Mitchell, Bob the Drag Queen, and Wendie Malick.

The acquisition gives one of this year’s most celebrated festival films a theatrical foothold in the U.S., where adult-oriented independent animation remains a relatively rare presence on the big screen.