⚖️ Masha and the Bear creators locked in legal battle over character rights
One of Russia's most successful animation brands has become the epicenter of a major legal scandal. The company "Masha and the Bear" (owned by Animaccord studio) has initiated legal proceedings against its former employee and the series’ original creator, Oleg Kuzovkov.
The dispute centers on the recognition of exclusive rights to characters that have become a global phenomenon.
Conflict over Hollywood reboot
The long-standing tensions escalated following news that Oleg Kuzovkov plans to produce the first feature-length reboot of the Masha and the Bear franchise.
The film, slated for completion by 2028, is to be produced by Studio MiM, which maintains offices in Los Angeles and Moscow. The project was announced as a large-scale reboot featuring a “refreshed look for the characters.” However, Animaccord has hit back, stating that Kuzovkov holds no rights to the characters and that reports regarding the return of these rights to the creator are false.
The rights holder’s position
In an official statement, the company emphasized that the characters in their current, commercially successful form are the result of the collective intellectual efforts of many specialists, and that the rights are legally vested in the studio.
While Oleg Kuzovkov was instrumental at the project’s inception—creating the initial sketches and training the core team—the parties later entered into a licensing agreement. Under this deal, all development rights for the series were transferred to the studio in exchange for royalties paid to the author.
Kuzovkov served as a consultant for many years, but recent disagreements between him and Animaccord could not be resolved amicably. “No one other than the studio implementing this massive project has any grounds to claim otherwise,” a representative for Masha and the Bear stated emphatically.
What’s next?
A civil lawsuit has been filed in a Moscow court. Sources suggest that while both sides attempted to reach an agreement for some time, the announcement of the American film project proved to be a point of no return.
Despite the litigation, Animaccord maintains it remains open to “professional and constructive dialogue” with Kuzovkov. However, the studio intends to strictly crack down on any legal uncertainty surrounding its primary asset. At stake is the future of a brand that has grown to become one of the most recognizable animated franchises in the world.
Source: RBC
