Why Mythology and Cultural Storytelling Continue to Win in the Global Animation Market

Most of us grew up with stories that shaped not just our childhoods, but our worldview, stories of Sree Krishna, Jai Hanuman, the Mahabharata. Our evenings were planned around television schedules. Families gathered around a single screen, generations united by the same narratives. For many Indians, Nitish Bharadwaj did not just play Krishna; he became Krishna. Very few forms of content in India have ever matched the power of mythology to connect people across age, language, and region.

Decades later, that connection remains unbroken.

What is increasingly clear is that this is not a uniquely Indian phenomenon. Across the global media landscape, culturally and spiritually rooted storytelling is experiencing a strong resurgence. From Disney’s Percy Jackson and the Olympians, which reintroduced Greek mythology to a new generation of global viewers, to Netflix’s Twilight of the Gods, inspired by Norse legends, audiences continue to gravitate toward stories drawn from ancient belief systems and collective memory.

This momentum extends across faiths and cultures. Turkish series like Diriliş: Ertuğrul and Kuruluş: Osman have demonstrated how narratives rooted in Islamic history and values can travel far beyond their countries of origin. Chinese mythology has found renewed global relevance through ambitious reinterpretations of Journey to the West, while titles like Black Myth: Wukong show how mythological narratives are now succeeding across interactive and digital platforms as well.

The renewed interest is equally visible in Christian faith-based storytelling. Angel Studios’ 2025 animated feature The King of Kings highlights how animation is being used to reinterpret the life of Jesus for contemporary audiences, while the upcoming live-action The Last Supper continues this momentum in cinema. The ongoing development of Mel Gibson’s The Resurrection of the Christ, planned for a 2027 release, further reinforces the sustained global appetite for spiritually rooted narratives. Much like mythological stories from other cultures, these works endure not merely because of faith, but because they explore universal themes of sacrifice, redemption, belief, and humanity.

Closer home, the success of Indian projects such as Kalki and Narasimha reinforces the same truth. These stories resonate because they speak to something deeply human, our moral dilemmas, our ideas of justice, destiny, courage, and hope. They survive and evolve not because they are frozen in time, but because every generation finds new meaning within them.

For us at Toonz, this relevance is especially significant. Animation gives us a unique creative advantage, the ability to visualize the divine, imagine epic worlds, and build immersive universes that are limited only by imagination. Whether the inspiration comes from Indian mythology, global folklore, or spiritual history, animation allows us to move beyond retelling and focus on interpretation, character depth, and emotional authenticity.

However, the current market has made one thing clear: familiarity alone is not enough. Today’s audiences, across cultures and continents, expect strong writing, nuanced characters, cultural sensitivity, and world-class execution. Mythology may offer a powerful foundation, but it demands rigour, respect, and creative excellence.