Participant Media alum Christian McGuigan (pictured left) and filmmaker Timothy Reckart (pictured right) have officially launched a new animation banner called Sycamore Studios after spending the past year quietly setting up operations. 

Based in LA and Austin, Texas, the company is looking to specialize in CG-animated kids & family content. Though it’s open to TV series projects, Sycamore will primarily focus on movies, and its strategy is to work with A-list writers/directors and foreign production partners to make them at a competitive price.

The fledgling studio has already teased its first project—a CG-animated theatrical adaptation of Doctor Dolittle (a public domain IP). Cal Brunker and Bob Barlen (the writing duo behind PAW Patrol: The Movie and PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie) are penning the script for this as-yet-untitled film, and Sycamore is currently in talks with overseas animation studios and exploring multi-film partnerships.

McGuigan heads up business operations and strategy as the company’s CEO. He previously worked at Participant Media from 2012 to 2017 in roles including director and VP of integrated content strategy, and he’s also an Emmy-nominated producer (Sarah’s Story). Rounding out Sycamore’s C-suite is chief creative officer Reckart, who is responsible for creative direction and project development. With a background in animation, Reckart is best known for directing the Oscar-nominated short toon Head Over Heels (2013). 

McGuigan and Reckart have been surreptitiously laying the groundwork for Sycamore for more than a year, installing Bigfoot Family producer Cooper Waterman as head of production and tapping former Netflix virtual production head Christina Lee Storm to join the studio’s advisory board. Sycamore is currently in the market to fill more key executive positions.

“We see an immense opportunity in the growing demand for entertainment that families can trust,” McGuigan noted in a release. He shared deeper insights of his vision in a May 2024 interview, pointing to a strong unmet demand for a brand that could build a “values-based trust” with conservative family audiences by providing content that aligns with their interests and preferences. One example, he says, is the lack of shows coming out of Hollywood that portray characters consistently going to church, with The Simpsons being an exception.

While criticizing the output of industry leaders like Disney, McGuigan did highlight the strong performance of projects such as The Super Mario Bros. Movie (Illumination), Puss In Boots: The Last Wish (DreamWorks Animation) and Bluey (Ludo Studio) as examples of content that was buoyed by “safe” values and wide appeal. “We know the market opportunity is there, and we’re going to seize upon it,” he said.

Photos by Amigo Studio/courtesy of Sycamore Studios