Netflix Acquires Cannes Animated Hit In Waves

There is a specific kind of light that only exists along the Southern California coastline—a hazy, golden saturation that makes the line between the Pacific Ocean and the horizon feel permeable. For those of us who spend our days navigating the sprawl of Los Angeles, from the grit of the Eastside to the salt-sprayed boardwalks of Venice Beach, that atmosphere is more than just scenery. This proves a character in its own right. It is exactly this atmospheric tension that fuels In Waves, the animated sensation that has just transitioned from the prestige screens of the Cannes Film Festival to the global reach of Netflix. While the industry trades in the high-stakes language of “bidding wars” and “global rights,” the heart of this story is deeply rooted in the asphalt and surf of our own backyard.

The film, directed by Phuong Mai Nguyen, is an adaptation of AJ Dungo’s 2019 graphic memoir. It tells a story that feels quintessential to the LA experience: the intersection of youth, art, and the sudden, jarring intrusion of mortality. By centering on AJ, a skateboarding artist, and Kristen, a passionate surfer, Nguyen captures a subculture of Southern California that often gets overlooked in favor of the glitz of Hollywood. This isn’t the LA of red carpets and gated communities; it’s the LA of shared skate spots, the rhythmic crash of the waves at Santa Monica, and the quiet, desperate intimacy of a hospital room. The fact that Netflix snapped up the global rights (outside of France) in a competitive mid-seven-figure deal speaks volumes about the current appetite for “elevated animation”—stories that use the medium not for spectacle, but for emotional precision.

The “Netflix Effect” and the Evolution of Indie Animation

When a streamer like Netflix enters a bidding war for a project coming out of Cannes Critics Week, it fundamentally alters the trajectory of the film. Traditionally, a breakout indie hit would embark on a grueling, limited theatrical run, hoping to catch the eye of a distributor before fading into the periphery. Now, we are seeing a shift toward immediate global accessibility. For a film like In Waves, which deals with the heavy themes of chronic illness and adolescent love, this means the story can reach millions of viewers who might never have stepped foot in an art-house cinema. However, this transition also raises questions about the “curation” of cinema. When the algorithm replaces the cinema programmer, does the poetic pacing of a director like Nguyen survive, or is it streamlined for the “skip intro” generation?

From a broader industry perspective, the success of In Waves reinforces the growing trend of graphic novel adaptations. We’ve seen this play out across various genres, but the transition from Dungo’s visual memoir to Nguyen’s animation is particularly symbiotic. Animation allows for a subjective representation of grief and love that live-action often struggles to capture. In the context of Los Angeles, a city that serves as the global epicenter for animation—home to the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television and the sprawling campuses of major studios—this film represents a victory for the independent voice. It proves that you don’t need a massive studio machine to create a visual language that resonates on a world stage; you just need an authentic connection to the source material and a willingness to explore the “quiet” moments of human existence.

the inclusion of Oscar-nominated Stephanie Hsu and BAFTA winner Will Sharpe in the voice cast signals a bridge between the indie spirit of the film and the prestige of the current acting zeitgeist. This blending of high-profile talent with niche, artistic storytelling is a strategy often employed by the California Film Commission to promote the region as not just a place for blockbusters, but as a sanctuary for diverse, auteur-driven narratives. When we look at the film through the lens of the Getty Center’s approach to visual storytelling, we see In Waves as a piece of contemporary art that happens to be distributed via a subscription service.

Socio-Economic Ripples in the Local Creative Economy

The ripple effect of a “Cannes breakout” often extends beyond the filmmakers themselves. For the local creative community in Southern California, the success of In Waves serves as a proof-of-concept for the “hyper-local” narrative. There is an increasing realization that the more specific a story is to a place—the more it mentions the specific smell of the air after a Santa Ana wind or the exact feeling of a board hitting the pavement on a specific street in LA—the more universal it becomes. This is a lesson for every aspiring creator in the city: don’t sanitize the local color to appeal to a global audience; lean into it.

We are also seeing a secondary effect in how health and illness are portrayed in media. By weaving a narrative of illness into a romance set against the vibrant backdrop of the coast, the film avoids the “tragedy porn” tropes often found in medical dramas. It treats the illness as a catalyst for growth and a test of relationship strength, rather than the sole defining characteristic of the character. This nuance is critical, especially in a city like Los Angeles where the healthcare divide is stark, and the experience of navigating a sudden illness can vary wildly depending on one’s zip code.

If you are looking to dive deeper into how these creative trends are shaping our city, you might find our analysis of Southern California arts funding particularly relevant, as it explores how independent creators are securing the means to tell these specific, localized stories without selling their souls to the major studios.

The Creative’s Toolkit: Navigating the Path from Page to Screen

Given my background as a lead pundit and geo-journalist, I’ve seen many local creators attempt to replicate the “Cannes-to-Netflix” pipeline. It is a perilous journey that requires more than just talent—it requires a strategic infrastructure. If you are a writer, artist, or filmmaker in the Los Angeles area inspired by the trajectory of In Waves, you cannot rely on luck. You need a specialized team to protect your vision while maximizing your marketability.

Depending on where you are in your process, here are the three types of local professionals you should be consulting to ensure your project doesn’t just get made, but gets noticed:

Intellectual Property (IP) Strategists

When adapting a graphic memoir or a personal journal, the legal landscape is a minefield. You need an attorney who specializes in “derivative works” and “option agreements.” Look for a professional who has a proven track record with the U.S. Copyright Office and understands the nuances of “work-for-hire” versus “shared ownership.” Avoid general practitioners; you need someone who speaks the language of both the courtroom and the studio.

Independent Distribution Consultants

The gap between finishing a film and getting it into a festival like Cannes is vast. A distribution consultant helps you build a “festival strategy”—deciding whether to go for a world premiere at Sundance or a more targeted run at a specialized animation festival. Look for consultants who have existing relationships with sales agents (like Charades or CAA Media Finance) and who can help you navigate the “bidding war” phase without underselling your rights.

Patient Advocacy & Sensitivity Consultants

As seen in In Waves, portraying illness requires a delicate balance to avoid clichés. If your narrative involves health struggles, hiring a sensitivity consultant ensures the depiction is authentic and respectful. Seek out professionals who have experience working with medical institutions or patient support groups in Southern California, ensuring that the emotional truth of the story is backed by lived experience or clinical accuracy.

The journey from a sketch in a notebook to a global Netflix release is rarely a straight line. It is more like the tide—a series of pushes and pulls, setbacks and surges. But as In Waves demonstrates, when the local specificity of Los Angeles is paired with a universal emotional truth, the world will listen.

Ready to find trusted professionals? Browse our complete directory of top-rated featurestopstories experts in the Los Angeles area today.