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Swaybox Studios

Animation studio blending puppetry and CGI

Overview

Swaybox Studios creates original animated and mixed-media content for feature films and TV, and also provides animation services for major projects. Its Momo Animation blends practical puppetry, stop-motion, CGI, and live-action real-time performance to produce a distinct visual look. It differentiates itself through a production pipeline and style centered on Momo rather than relying on a single traditional technique. Its goal is to grow as a producer of original content and as a service provider in the global entertainment market, with projects like Dynamic Duo developed with DC Studios, Warner Bros. Pictures Animation, and Matt Reeves' 6th & Idaho.

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About Swaybox Studios

Simplify's Rating
Why Swaybox Studios is rated
B-
Rated B on Competitive Edge
Rated B on Growth Potential
Rated C on Differentiation

Industries

DesignEntertainment

Company Size

51-200

Company Stage

Early VC

Total Funding

$1.9M

Headquarters

Shreveport, LA

Founded

2013

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What believers are saying

  • Warner Bros. shifted Dynamic Duo to September 22, 2028, signaling franchise confidence.
  • Casting Mason Thames, Logan Kim, Lee Pace, and Steve Buscemi broadens marketability.
  • Swaybox plans 240 Louisiana hires, expanding capacity and anchoring local incentives.

What critics are saying

  • Dynamic Duo’s 2028 release leaves four years of execution risk and schedule slippage.
  • Warner Bros. controls the studio’s breakout project, limiting Swaybox’s negotiating leverage.
  • If Dynamic Duo underperforms, Swaybox stays a boutique vendor without enough distribution power.

What makes Swaybox Studios unique

  • Momo Animation blends puppetry, stop-motion, CGI, and live-action real-time performance.
  • Arthur Mintz directs Dynamic Duo, giving Swaybox a flagship feature and proof point.
  • New Orleans production and practical sets differentiate Swaybox from digital-only animation shops.

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Funding

Total Funding

$1.9M

Above

Industry Average

Funded Over

1 Rounds

Early VC funding comparison data is currently unavailable. We're working to provide this information soon!
Early VC Funding Comparison Coming Soon

Benefits

  • Hybrid Work Options

Company News

Smarti Media
Nov 6th, 2026
Inside DC's Dynamic Duo: animated robin film arrives 2028.

Inside DC's Dynamic Duo: animated robin film arrives 2028. DC's Dynamic Duo is an animated puppet-and-CGI film centered on Dick Grayson and Jason Todd, produced by Swaybox and linked to Matt Reeves' The Batman. Mason Thames and Logan Kim star; release set for Sept 22, 2028. Two Robins. One bold experiment. That's the premise quietly taking shape at DC Studios as the new animated feature Dynamic Duo moves from rumor to near-certainty. The Wrap first dropped the specifics: Swaybox, a New Orleans-based studio now partly owned by Warner Bros., is producing a hybrid puppet-and-CGI feature that appears to live inside Matt Reeves' The Batman universe. Early imagery reportedly gave off a Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse energy - stylized, kinetic, and willing to play with form. Dynamic Duo is slated to hit theaters on September 22, 2028. The story focuses on Dick Grayson and Jason Todd, two very different Robins whose chemistry and conflict have fascinated fans for decades. Casting has already started to land: Mason Thames is on board as Dick Grayson and Logan Kim will voice Jason Todd. No Batman voice has been announced, leaving open whether Robert Pattinson's iteration will cross over. Discover more Upgrade Tech Read Company News Try Action Games There's a pleasingly old-school detail to the production: Swaybox blends puppetry with advanced animation. It's a tactile approach that gives characters a physical sense of presence while still letting animators push visual boundaries. Think layered technique rather than a straight animated feature - and that creative risk is precisely why some are watching this project closely. Peter Safran, co-CEO of DC Studios, made a point of noting Mason Thames' visible enthusiasm during auditions. The impression was clear: this isn't a casting checkbox. It's an actor who came in as a fan and left as a steward of the role. Small moments like that suggest the film will lean into character-driven beats as much as spectacle. Questions remain. Will Dynamic Duo be a canonical entry in James Gunn's DCU, or sit as a distinct Matt Reeves-adjacent chapter? Gunn has said he'd like the puppet animation to fit into the broader DCU if it can, but also acknowledged that the film's unique voice might not align perfectly with every corner of the franchise. Either way, the potential to see these two Robins interact with Reeves' Gotham offers intriguing narrative possibilities. This film arrives against the backdrop of other expansions tied to The Batman universe: Colin Farrell's Oswald Cobblepot spun into the Emmy-recognized HBO series The Penguin, and Paul Dano - who played Edward Nashton - contributed to a Riddler tie-in comic, further blurring lines between film, TV, and comics. Discover more Try Quest Games Video Games Try Shooter Games Will Mason Thames and Logan Kim someday reprise their roles in live-action? Maybe. Will their Robins cross paths with Robert Pattinson's Batman on screen? Possibly. For now, Dynamic Duo represents one of DC's most interesting gambles: a stylistic experiment that wants to honor Batman's mythos while taking imaginative, risk-forward steps. Keep an eye on casting updates and newly released footage; if the first impressions are anything to go by, this could be one of 2028's most talked-about genre pieces.

U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
Oct 24th, 2025
SEC FORM D

The Securities and Exchange Commission has not necessarily reviewed the information in this filing and has not determined if it is accurate and complete.The reader should not assume that the information is accurate and complete.

Forbes
Aug 11th, 2023
Meet The Pro Athletes Turned Producers Making A Big Play In Hollywood

(Left to right) Ryan Kalil and Blake Griffin photographed at Variety and Sportico's Sports and . [+] Entertainment Summit in West Hollywood, California. Variety via Getty Images"We won't stop," affirmed NBA All-Star Blake Griffin, one half of the Los Angeles-based production company Mortal Media. Together with fellow pro athlete Ryan Kalil, 2023 has seen the company defy skeptics and critics as it emerges as a star player in its own right in the film and TV industry with a multi-year overall deal with Sony Pictures and investment in a state-of-the-art animation studio.Griffin is the first to admit that the journey from the company's creation in 2016 to where it is now hasn't been a walk in the park."I don't think giving up has ever really crossed our minds. You go into everything with a sense of optimism, but when something doesn't work, especially in sports, there's zero time to feel sorry for yourself; it's like, 'Oh, it didn't work out. Alright

Variety
Aug 3rd, 2023
Blake Griffin, Ryan Kalil’s Mortal Media Lead Investment Round for Swaybox Studios (EXCLUSIVE)

Blake Griffin and Ryan Kalil's film and TV production company, mortal media, has led an investment round for animation studio Swaybox Studios

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