New India–U.K. Co-Production ‘The Assassin’ Marks Another Step In India’s Original Animation Boom

India’s Green Gold Animation has announced a major new international collaboration with U.K.-based Red Kite Animation on The Assassin, an animated feature unveiled at the Goa Film Festival and Waves Film Bazaar Co-Production Market, which has proved particularly vibrant for animation this year.

The announcement arrives at a moment when India’s original animation output is expanding rapidly, with high-profile, non–kids projects such as Baahubali: The Eternal War and Mahavatar Narsimha signaling a growing appetite for ambitious, culturally rooted, and globally marketable animated storytelling.

Set in a stark, near-future metropolis, The Assassin follows a young man whose life collapses after a catastrophic industrial accident. As corporate powers tighten their grip on the city, his pursuit of justice propels him into a volatile transformation, blurring the lines between rebellion, survival, and vengeance. With its graphic-novel aesthetic and contemporary themes, the film is positioned squarely within India’s new wave of adult-leaning animated titles.

The project is being produced under the India–U.K. Audio-Visual Co-Production Treaty, with both studios sharing equally in financing, creative development, production, and global distribution. A hybrid production pipeline — mixing guerrilla live-action, rotoscoping, and high-end 2D/3D animation — will be utilized by teams in Hyderabad and the U.K., targeting a 15–18-month production cycle and an international festival run.

In a release, Rajiv Chilaka, founder and CEO of Green Gold Animation, said:

Green Gold has always believed that Indian animation has the depth, ambition and artistry to stand shoulder to shoulder with the world’s best. The Assassin is a strong step in that direction. It is a bold, original film led by a singular creative vision. Working with Ken and the team at Red Kite allows us to bring two creative cultures together in a way that feels meaningful and future-focused. We are building a film with genuine global potential.

Ken Anderson, founder and CEO of Red Kite Animation, added:

The Assassin represents exactly the kind of bold, internationally resonant filmmaking that India and the U.K. can deliver together. Green Gold bring extraordinary talent and vision to the project, and our collaboration reflects a genuine commitment to deepening creative and industrial ties between our two countries. This is not just a co-production. It is a shared artistic endeavour shaped by the strengths of both nations’ storytellers and creative communities

Launching the project at Waves underscores the studios’ commitment to deepening international collaboration while reinforcing India’s growing influence in global animation.