Ukrainian animated film Mavka will be available on Netflix

The State Film Agency press service reported the information.

"The animated film Mavka is gaining even more popularity, the journey through online services continues, the next stop will be the Netflix streaming platform, where the cartoon will be available from December 1," the statement said.

"Mavka is the highest-grossing animated project in the history of Ukrainian film distribution, and we are grateful to every viewer who supports Ukrainian cinema," the State Film Agency added

They reminded that the film was based on Lesya Ukrainka's The Forest Song and adapted to the family animation genre. The cartoon is also based on images from Slavic myths and legends.

What is known about the cartoon Mavka. The Forest Song

The Ukrainian 3D animated film is based on the fairy tale drama by Ukrainian writer Lesya Ukrainka and images of folk mythology. The film tells the story of the love between Mavka, the spirit of the forest, and Lukash, a peasant musician, and their struggle against the cruel Kylyna, who wants to use the tree of life for her own selfish purposes.

Work on the animated film Mavka. The Forest Song began in 2015. During these years, the creators changed the plot, character design, budget and premiere date. The film was completed at the end of 2022. It received state support in the amount of 25% of the initial budget, which at that time was estimated at over UAH 98 million. In 2020, the State Film Support Council approved a 1.9-fold increase in the project's budget.

The animated film Mavka. The Forest Song premiered in cinemas on March 2. During the first weekend, it garnered box office receipts of UAH 24.9 million and was viewed by nearly 190,000 people. In the second week of its release in Ukraine, the film surpassed Avatar 2 in terms of the number of tickets sold. Back on March 21, it was reported that Mavka. The Forest Song became the highest-grossing Ukrainian film in the history of Ukraine since gaining independence.

Subsequently, Animagrad studio, which belongs to Film.UA Group, in cooperation with the French company TeamTO, announced the production of a 3D animated series based on the Mavka cartoon. On September 22, Animagrad presented this development at Cartoon Forum in Toulouse.

As of November, the film has grossed over $20 million at the global and Ukrainian box office.