Production partners Custom Nuts and Baboon Animation have greenlit Ibn Battuta, a new family-friendly comedy adventure for a 5–7 co-viewing audience. The companies have just introduced the series to buyers at Annecy’s MIFA market. Two seasons are now fully funded and in pre-production, with production hubs operating across Japan, the U.S. and the MENA region.
Ibn Battuta is described as a bold, comedic reimagining of the legendary 14th-century explorer as a wide-eyed kid with big dreams and an insatiable curiosity. Armed with a magical travel trunk and a wisecracking donkey, young Battuta zigzags through unexplored lands, causing as many problems as he solves.
Led by Silas Hickey and Mike de Seve, respectively, Custom Nuts and Baboon, the Tokyo- and New York-based studios behind the new series, are applying their Emmy-winning storytelling skills to a hybrid anime model for the new series. A transnational team of writers, board artists, animators, designers and directors from across the Middle East, Southeast Asia, Japan and Hollywood are creating a blend of kodomomuke anime’s kid-centered storytelling with family-friendly slapstick.
“Together, Mike and I have gotten to know so many great talents over the years, and the very best of the best have been so eager to jump on board Battuta,” said Hickey. “Look for some exciting announcements on that front.”
The producers note that Ibn Battuta is a rare animated IP that is both rooted in regional heritage and has global appeal. The series has drawn strong interest from broadcasters and streamers looking for content that blends cultural specificity with universal humor and heart, and is designed for longevity, with natural extensions into publishing, licensing and digital platforms.
First-look materials for Ibn Battuta will be available after MIFA 2025 by appointment, along with three more anime hybrid titles based on Middle East epic characters. These include Hamza, a bold new teen/young adult series inspired by the legendary exploits of Amir Hamza, also from Custom Nuts & Baboon.
Episode delivery for Ibn Battuta is set to begin in Q2 2026.
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