Imagi Animation Studios, also known as Imagi Studios, was a Chinese animation and visual effects studio based in Hong Kong, and established in 2000 by Imagi International Holdings Limited (), a Hong Kong-based investment company.

Background

In 2000, Imagi Animation Studios was set up and production starts on its first project, the CGI-animated television series '' Zentrix''. The company had a studio in Chai Wan, Hong Kong, as well as a creative development and production facility in Los Angeles, California and a satellite office in Tokyo. The company's first major CGI-animated theatrical film ''

TMNT ''Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles'' is an American media franchise created by the comic book artists Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird. It follows Leonardo, Michelangelo, Donatello and Raphael, four anthropomorphic turtle brothers (named after ...

'' was released March 23, 2007 by Warner Bros. in the United States and Canada, opening No. 1 at the

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, and was being distributed internationally by the Weinstein Company. Imagi's focus was to create high-quality CGI-animated feature films with

superhero A superhero or superheroine is a stock character that typically possesses ''superpowers'', abilities beyond those of ordinary people, and fits the role of the hero, typically using his or her powers to help the world become a better place, ...

themes to entertain global audiences, combining

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood, ...

storytelling with computer animation done in Hong Kong.

Setbacks and bankruptcy

In January 2009, Imagi's auditing firm announced that the studio lacked funding to complete the release of ''Cat Tale'' (which was to have been released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer) and '' Gatchaman'' and

art director Art director is the title for a variety of similar job functions in theater, advertising, marketing, publishing, fashion, film industry, film and television, the Internet, and video games. It is the charge of a sole art director to supervise and ...

Felix Ip reported that ''Gatchamans release was not expected until later in 2009.It closed its doors as Imagi to assume another company name as to avoid any unclaimed debts to investors and staff. In June 2009, Imagi opened ''Gatchaman'' to licensing partners and announced a 3-D theatrical release for 2011. In October 2009, Imagi released '' Astro Boy'', based on the manga series of the same name, the film was a box-office bomb, losing the company $23 million in the process. In January 2010, Imagi's Hong Kong based parent company Imagi International Holdings Limited announced that the ''Gatchaman'' project will be "''delivered in 100% Stereoscopic 3-D''" and that in order to safeguard working capital, it closed its United States subsidiaries. This closure was finalized in late January with the layoff of approximately 30 staffers and the retaining of a few key personnel who will continue to work as consultants as Imagi seeks $30 million from investors to continue its animation projects. On February 5, 2010, following the financial failure of ''Astro Boy'', Imagi Animation Studios filed for bankruptcy and was sold to

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. The sale was completed in May 2010.

Works

Theatrical Feature films

Television/Direct-To-Video Films

Short films

TV series

Cancelled films

References

External links

Official website
{{Authority control Hong Kong animation studios Mass media companies established in 2000 Mass media companies disestablished in 2010 Companies listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange