House of Cool
- Open roles
- 0
- Founded
- 2004
- Employees
- 51-200
- Offices
- 1
About House of Cool
House of Cool is a Toronto-based animation pre-production studio working on animated feature films and episodic television. Founded in 2004 by Ricardo Curtis and Wes Lui, the company specializes in the early creative stages that establish a production’s story, visual identity, pacing and tone. Its work brings together storytelling, design and editorial development before projects move into animation production.
The studio’s story services encompass script analysis, story development, digital storyboarding, animatics, direction and editorial, supported by production management. Its design capabilities include conceptual and visual development, character design, environment and prop design, art direction and color scripting. Animation pre-visualization connects these disciplines, helping filmmakers develop narrative structure and visual sequences during pre-production.
Features and episodic storytelling
House of Cool has contributed pre-production work to films including Despicable Me, The Book of Life, The Peanuts Movie, Ferdinand, Next Gen, Rio and The Angry Birds Movie 2. Its feature work also includes PAW Patrol: The Movie, PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie, The Magician’s Elephant and Night of the Zoopocalypse.
Its television and streaming work spans productions such as Gravity Falls, Trollhunters: Tales of Arcadia, 3Below: Tales of Arcadia, Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts, Maya and the Three and Marvel’s What If...?. The studio serves animated entertainment alongside commercials, branded entertainment and children’s and family intellectual-property development.
Development within a broader production pipeline
WildBrain acquired House of Cool in July 2023, retaining its distinct studio brand and management structure. The acquisition expanded WildBrain’s pre-production capabilities while House of Cool continued undertaking work for third-party studios and commercial clients. Its role remains focused on front-end creative development, connecting story and design decisions with the subsequent animation pipeline. More recent projects identified in the research include PAW Patrol: The Dino Movie and Apple Original Films’ Little Santa.
More about House of Cool
Leadership
Co-founders Ricardo Curtis and Wes Lui became Co-General Managers following the 2023 acquisition, alongside executive responsibilities across WildBrain’s animation business. Curtis brought experience as an animation artist, while Lui brought finance and business expertise; the two were childhood friends.
Production environment
The studio’s post-acquisition workspace was custom-designed as a dedicated 5,000-square-foot pre-production facility.
Notable credits
37 creditsOffices
Where House of Cool is based
- Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Toronto offices
HeadquartersAbout this office
**Toronto Studio** Status: active Headquarters Address: 25 York St., Suite 1201, Toronto, ON M5J 2V5, Canada Phone: +1 (416) 591-6500 Office webpage: https://www.houseofcool.com/contact Current headquarters and pre-production facility following relocation from 130 Queens Quay East in 2023–2024. --- **Office** Status: inactive / historical Address: 130 Queens Quay East, Suite 600, Toronto, Ontario, Canada Former House of Cool studio premises before relocation to 25 York Street in 2023–2024.
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