XPost: rec.arts.disney.animation

From Variety.com ...


Disney to Shutter 'Ice Age' Animation House Blue Sky
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The Walt Disney Company will close Blue Sky Studios, the
animation company inherited in its 2019 acquisition of
20th Century Fox.

Founded in 1987, Blue Sky helped grow top-grossing family
franchises including "Ice Age," the Dr. Seuss adaptation
"Horton Hears a Who," and most recently the Will Smith
and Tom Holland project "Spies in Disguise."

About 450 employees staffing the company will face
termination, thought some are said to be eyeing roles at
other Disney portfolio holdings, which includes the
eponymous Walt Disney Animation Studios and Pixar.
Closure was a forgone conclusion for many in the industry
upon the historic Disney-Fox transaction.

"Given the current economic realities, after much
consideration and evaluation, we have made the difficult
decision to close filmmaking operations at Blue Sky
Studios," a Disney spokesperson said.

The coronavirus pandemic has uniquely crippled Disney,
given the entertainment giant's reliance on theme park
attendance and a massive global theatrical business, which
needs open movie theaters to survive. Maintaining a third
animation label became untenable, one individual with
knowledge of the company said.

"Ice Age," which spawned four films, grossed close to
$3 billion worldwide and saw exponential box office
returns from sequel to sequel. It was voiced by Ray Romano
and John Leguizamo. The studio also produced the
two-parter bird adventure "Rio," with Anne Hathaway and
George Lopez, which grossed close to $1 billion worldwide.

Blue Sky began in the commercial space and grew into an
effects production house on titles like "Alien
Resurrection" and "Fight Club."

News of the closing was first reported by Deadline Hollywood.


<https://variety.com/2021/film/news/disney-closing-blue-sky-studios-ice-age-1234904070/>

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