Toonz’s Viswanath Rao on Mixing Pixels, Plots, and a Dash of Disruption

By Pickle June 21, 2026

As the animation landscape evolves faster than ever, Toonz Media Group’s CEO Viswanath Rao shares his unique approach to leadership, technological adoption, and nurturing talent—offering a behind-the-scenes look at how Toonz is redefining what it means to create meaningful, boundary-pushing content for a new generation of viewers.

Leading an animation studio in today’s rapidly evolving landscape is far from easy. How have you adapted to these changes, and what key decisions or strategies have helped you navigate this environment successfully?

My transition into leading an animation studio was quite smooth, largely because of the welcoming culture at Toonz and within the animation industry itself. I never felt like an outsider trying to fit in; instead, I found an industry that embraced diverse perspectives and experiences. I believe that openness is one of the unique strengths of the creative sector. At the same time, I have always had immense respect for creative talent and the role artists and storytellers play in shaping meaningful content.

Another factor that helped me adapt was my technology-oriented mindset. We are currently at a point where technological adoption, pipeline optimization, and production efficiency are central discussions across the industry. These are areas I am naturally drawn to. I enjoy breaking down complex systems, understanding how they work, and identifying opportunities to make them more effective through technology and innovation.

My approach has been to ensure that technology supports creativity rather than competes with it. Whether it is streamlining workflows, improving collaboration, or introducing new tools that enhance productivity, the goal is always to provide creative teams more time and freedom to focus on storytelling and content creation. I believe the future belongs to studios that can successfully combine creative excellence with technological agility, and that is the balance we are striving to achieve at Toonz.

A strong legacy can be both an advantage and a challenge. How do you ensure that Toonz’s legacy serves as a foundation for growth rather than something that limits innovation?

For me, the focus is always on quality. In today’s content landscape, success is not about producing the highest volume of content; it is about creating content that stands out. That means finding the right talent, backing the right stories, partnering with the right people, and giving creative teams the environment they need to do their best work. When those elements come together, quality naturally follows.

Our approach at Toonz is therefore very deliberate. Rather than pursuing numbers for the sake of scale, we prioritize the creation of a slate of premium content that has global appeal. Legacy gives us credibility, but quality, creativity, and innovation are what will define our future. If we continue to focus on being the best rather than simply being the biggest, I believe Toonz’s strongest years are still ahead of us.

What are your expectations from Annecy this year, and what can audiences and partners look forward to from Toonz’s lineup?

Annecy is always a valuable platform for us to connect with the global animation community and share the direction in which Toonz is evolving. What stands out in our lineup this year is the range of stories, formats, and creative voices it represents. We are prioritizing carefully curated projects with strong creative and commercial potential, rather than simply expanding the number of titles we produce.

This diversity is evident across the projects we are presenting. Living Wild, developed with Gaumont Animation and En Animation, represents the kind of globally relevant, premium content we are increasingly investing in. Our feature film slate is led by Pierre the Pigeon-Hawk, produced with Exodus Film Group, Telegael, and JAKM3N Productions, and featuring an exceptional cast that includes will.i.am, Jennifer Coolidge, Jennifer Hudson, and Snoop Dogg. We are also bringing A Banquet for Hungry Ghosts, a unique horror anthology created through a collaboration between partners from Singapore, Taiwan, and Indonesia, as well as Tulipop: Magical Seasons, a visually rich family feature developed with Iceland’s Tulipop Studios.

Another project we are particularly proud of is The Taste of Water, co-produced with Paul Raphael and Supersub LLC. The film combines documentary storytelling with cutting-edge animation techniques, including AI-assisted rotoscoping and 3D Gaussian Splatting. Together, these projects reflect our focus on strong stories, outstanding creative talent, international collaboration, and a constant drive to explore new possibilities in animation.

How do you view the evolution of audience viewing habits, and how are advances in technology reshaping animation production pipelines and storytelling?

Audience preferences today are evolving faster than ever. Viewing habits, content expectations, and areas of interest are constantly shifting, driven by new platforms and changing consumption patterns. Creators must be more agile in storytelling and production, as audiences want content that is more engaging, accessible, and relevant. We are also seeing growing demand for shorter formats, greater thematic diversity, and content that can connect with audiences across multiple platforms.

At the same time, technology is advancing at an unprecedented pace and has the potential to fundamentally transform the animation industry. From production workflows and asset creation to collaboration and content delivery, new technologies are creating opportunities to work more efficiently and unlock new creative possibilities.

For studios, this is not a time to resist change but to embrace it. The ability to adapt quickly will be a key differentiator in the years ahead. At Toonz, we see technology as an enabler of creativity, and we are actively exploring ways to integrate new tools and innovations into our pipelines so that we can respond faster to market needs while continuing to deliver high-quality storytelling.

As the animation industry undergoes significant transformation, what do you believe should be the guiding principle for studios and creators today? What trends or developments should the industry be paying close attention to?

The biggest shift we are seeing is that content is no longer confined to a single platform or distribution model. The digital-first approach is becoming increasingly important, allowing creators and studios to reach audiences directly, understand them better, and build stronger relationships with them. Regardless of the distribution method, quality remains the most important factor. Audiences today have endless choices, and only compelling stories and high-quality content can truly capture and retain their attention.

I believe studios need to think beyond individual productions and focus on building brands, franchises, and story universes that audiences can connect with over time. The most successful properties today are those that combine strong creative foundations with long-term franchise potential, creating engagement across streaming, gaming, consumer products, publishing, social media, and beyond.

At the same time, technology and audience data are providing unprecedented opportunities to understand consumer behavior and respond more effectively. The studios that will thrive are those that combine exceptional storytelling, direct audience engagement, strong intellectual property development, and the agility to adapt to changing consumption habits. In many ways, nothing exists in isolation anymore; every project has the potential to become part of a much larger ecosystem, but it all begins with great content.

Technology is becoming increasingly central to animation. How is Toonz approaching technological adoption, and what role do emerging technologies play in the company’s future vision?

Technology has always played a crucial role in animation, but today its impact is far more significant because of the speed at which it is evolving. At Toonz, we view technology as an enabler of creativity rather than a replacement for it. Our focus is on identifying tools and innovations that can streamline workflows, improve efficiency, and give our creative teams more time to focus on what they do best telling great stories.

We are actively exploring and adopting new technologies across our production pipeline, including AI-assisted tools, automation, and emerging animation techniques where they can add real value. Projects such as The Taste of Water, which incorporates AI-assisted rotoscoping and 3D Gaussian Splatting, demonstrate our willingness to experiment with new approaches and push creative boundaries.

Looking ahead, technological adoption will remain a key part of our growth strategy. The industry is changing rapidly, and studios that embrace innovation will be better positioned to respond to evolving audience demands and production requirements. Our vision is to combine world-class creativity with cutting-edge technology, ensuring that Toonz remains agile, future-ready, and capable of delivering high-quality content at a global scale.

TOONZ ANIMATION ARRIVES AT ANNECY AND MIFA 2026 WITH A ROBUST FEATURE FILM SLATE, REINFORCING THE STUDIO’S GROWING ROLE AS A PRODUCER AND DISTRIBUTOR OF LONG-FORM ANIMATION