Xilam, UGC to Produce Hybrid Adaptation of Bernard Werber’s Thriller ‘Empire of the Ants’

Bernard Werber’s 1991 thriller Empire of the Ants (Les Fourmis) is being developed into a live-action/CG animated series produced by French studio UGC and Oscar-nominated Xilam Animation (I Lost My Body, Oggy and the Cockroaches, Mr Magoo). The book, which has sold seven million copies globally, combines two separate investigations: One is a murder mystery set in the human world involving the mysterious death of a famed myrmecologist, and the other is set in the underground ant colony centered on a secret plot involving the ant queen and her militant guard. The book was adapted into a popular 3D strategy video game by Strategy First in 2011 and a second game by Microids in 2024.

The series will be written by Vladimir Haulet (Mixte, Mash Up), and the VFX director will be Nicolas Deveaux (Arcane, I Lost My Body). The project is produced by Xilam founder Marc du Pontavice and Caterina Gonnelli, and by Franck Calderon and Céline d’Asaro Biondo for UGC.

“I am thrilled to see Empire of the Ants finally come to life on screen,” Werber said in a statement. “This adaptation from such creative powerhouses as UGC and Xilam will bring a unique level of ambition to my universe. I look forward to audiences experiencing this work in a new form.”