Skydance Animation, LLC is an American
animation studio
An animation studio is a company producing animated media. The broadest such companies conceive of products to produce, own the physical equipment for production, employ operators for that equipment, and hold a major stake in the sales or rentals ...
that is a division of
Skydance Media
Skydance Media, LLC (formerly known as Skydance Productions) is an American production company based in Santa Monica, California. Founded by David Ellison in 2006, the company entered a five-year partnership to co-produce and co-finance films with ...
, founded on March 16, 2017. The studio is located in
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
with offices in
Connecticut
Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its cap ...
and
Madrid
Madrid ( , ) is the capital and most populous city of Spain. The city has almost 3.4 million inhabitants and a metropolitan area population of approximately 6.7 million. It is the second-largest city in the European Union (EU), and ...
,
Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, i ...
; the Madrid branch was originally
Ilion Animation Studios
Skydance Animation Madrid (formerly known as Ilion Animation Studios) is a Spanish animation studio based in Madrid, Spain. It is a subsidiary of Skydance Media via Skydance Animation to create computer-animated films for theatrical release. Af ...
.
Skydance Animation's first film ''
Luck
Luck is the phenomenon and belief that defines the experience of improbable events, especially improbably positive or negative ones. The naturalistic interpretation is that positive and negative events may happen at any time, both due to rand ...
'' was released on August 5, 2022 on
Apple TV+
Apple TV is a digital media player and microconsole developed and marketed by Apple Inc. It is a small network appliance hardware that plays received media data such as video and audio to a television set or external display. Since its secon ...
with mixed reviews. Its next film is ''
Spellbound'', followed by two other film projects, ''
Pookoo'' and ''
Ray Gunn
Phillip Bradley Bird (born September 24, 1957) is an American film director, animator, screenwriter, producer, and voice actor. He has had a career spanning forty years in both animation and live-action.
Bird was born in Montana and grew up in ...
'', along with a TV series being developed based on the books of ''
The Search for WondLa
''The Search for WondLa'' is a children's science fiction fantasy novel by Tony DiTerlizzi published in 2010. It is the first book of the ''WondLa'' series. The website dedicated to the book had an innovative section which interacts with the book' ...
''.
History
![Skydance Animation](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2c/Skydance_Animation.svg)
In March 2017,
Skydance Media
Skydance Media, LLC (formerly known as Skydance Productions) is an American production company based in Santa Monica, California. Founded by David Ellison in 2006, the company entered a five-year partnership to co-produce and co-finance films with ...
formed an animation division and a multi-year partnership with
Madrid, Spain
Madrid ( , ) is the capital and most populous city of Spain. The city has almost 3.4 million inhabitants and a metropolitan area population of approximately 6.7 million. It is the second-largest city in the European Union (EU), and ...
-based animation studio
Ilion Animation Studios
Skydance Animation Madrid (formerly known as Ilion Animation Studios) is a Spanish animation studio based in Madrid, Spain. It is a subsidiary of Skydance Media via Skydance Animation to create computer-animated films for theatrical release. Af ...
.
In July, it announced its first two films, ''Split'', for a release in 2019, and ''
Luck
Luck is the phenomenon and belief that defines the experience of improbable events, especially improbably positive or negative ones. The naturalistic interpretation is that positive and negative events may happen at any time, both due to rand ...
''. Both films would be distributed by
Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film and television production company, production and Distribution (marketing), distribution company and the main namesake division of Paramount Global (formerly ViacomCBS). It is the fifth-oldes ...
as part of their deal with Skydance Media. On October 10, 2017,
Bill Damaschke
William Damaschke (born November 20, 1963) is the former President of Animation and Family Entertainment for Skydance Media, where he served as the key architect setting the overall creative direction and strategy for Skydance. In conjunction wi ...
was hired to head the division as president of animation and family entertainment, and ''Luck'' was given a release date of March 19, 2021. In April 2018, ''Luck'' was greenlit by
Paramount Animation
Paramount Animation is an American animation studio, serving as the animation division and label of Paramount Pictures, a subsidiary of Paramount Global. The division was founded on July 6, 2011, following the box office success of Paramount's own ...
chief
Mireille Soria
Mireille Soria (born April 22, 1970) is an American film producer, most notable for working at DreamWorks Animation on many of their films.
She produced '' Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron'', '' Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas'', ''Madagascar'' ...
.
Skydance Animation signed on directors
Alessandro Carloni
Alessandro Carloni is an Italian film director, animator, and art director, best known for his work with DreamWorks Animation in general, particularly the ''Kung Fu Panda'' films. He co-directed ''Kung Fu Panda 3'', alongside Jennifer Yuh Nelson ...
(''
Kung Fu Panda 3
''Kung Fu Panda 3'' is a 2016 computer-animated martial arts comedy film produced by DreamWorks Animation and distributed by 20th Century Fox. It is the third installment in the ''Kung Fu Panda'' franchise and the sequel to ''Kung Fu Panda 2' ...
'') to direct ''
Luck
Luck is the phenomenon and belief that defines the experience of improbable events, especially improbably positive or negative ones. The naturalistic interpretation is that positive and negative events may happen at any time, both due to rand ...
'',
Vicky Jenson
Victoria "Vicky" Jenson (born March 4, 1960) is an American film director of both live-action and animated films. Retrieved April 9, 2014. She has directed projects for DreamWorks Animation, including ''Shrek'', the first film to win an Academy ...
(''
Shrek
''Shrek'' is a 2001 American computer-animated comedy film loosely based on the 1990 book of the same name by William Steig. It is the first installment in the ''Shrek'' franchise. The film was directed by Andrew Adamson and Vicky Jenso ...
'') to direct ''
Spellbound''), and
Nathan Greno
Nathan Greno (born March 22, 1975) is an American film director, story artist, and writer best known as the co-director of the 2010 animated film ''Tangled.''
Inspired by Disney films since the first grade, Greno started as a young boy writing a ...
(''
Tangled
''Tangled'' is a 2010 American 3D computer-animated musical adventure fantasy comedy film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures. Loosely based on the Grimms' Fairy Tales, German fairy tale ''Rapunzel'' ...
'') to write and direct ''Pookoo'' (formerly known as ''Powerless'').
Peggy Holmes
Peggy Holmes is an American choreographer, dancer, screenwriter, and film director. Her full-length directorial debut was on 2008's '' The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning'', although she had previously directed a segment of the anthology film ''M ...
(''
Secret of the Wings
''Secret of the Wings'' (originally titled as ''Tinker Bell and the Mysterious Winter Woods'' or alternatively ''Tinker Bell and the Secret of the Wings'') is a 2012 American computer-animated fantasy film, and the fourth installment in the ''Disn ...
'' and ''
The Pirate Fairy
''The Pirate Fairy'' (originally titled as ''Tinker Bell and the River of Doom'' or alternatively ''Tinker Bell and the Pirate Fairy'') is a 2014 American 3D computer-animated fantasy film directed by Peggy Holmes. It is the fifth direct-to-vid ...
'') was later announced as new director of ''Luck'', replacing Carloni who left over creative differences.
In January 2019, Skydance Animation hired former
Pixar
Pixar Animation Studios (commonly known as Pixar () and stylized as P I X A R) is an American computer animation studio known for its critically and commercially successful computer animated feature films. It is based in Emeryville, Californi ...
and
Walt Disney Animation Studios
Walt Disney Animation Studios (WDAS), sometimes shortened to Disney Animation, is an American animation studio that creates animated features and short films for The Walt Disney Company. The studio's current production logo features a scene fro ...
CCO
John Lasseter
John Alan Lasseter (; born January 12, 1957) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter, animator, voice actor, and the head of animation at Skydance Animation. He was previously the chief creative officer of Pixar Animation Studios, ...
as Head of Animation, supplanting Damaschke. This decision was met with disapproval from some contributors to various Skydance projects, owing to prior allegations of sexual misconduct against Lasseter during his time with Pixar. Soria announced that the team at Paramount Animation would no longer work with Skydance due to the hiring of Lasseter. Conversely, Damaschke stated that many people "
..had strong feelings and felt like it was the right thing to do
..and were excited to get to work with him" and it was "
..definitely not a black-and-white situation."
Emma Thompson
Dame Emma Thompson (born 15 April 1959) is a British actress. Regarded as one of the best actresses of her generation, she has received numerous accolades throughout her four-decade-long career, including two Academy Awards, two British A ...
was to voice a character in ''Luck'' but left the project after Lasseter was hired.
Jane Fonda
Jane Seymour Fonda (born December 21, 1937) is an American actress, activist, and former fashion model. Recognized as a film icon, Fonda is the recipient of various accolades including two Academy Awards, two British Academy Film Awards, sev ...
was cast as The Dragon in ''Luck''. Holly Edwards, who previously served as Skydance Animation's Head of Production, was promoted to the position of president at Skydance Animation.
On April 2, 2020, composer
Alan Menken
Alan Irwin Menken (born July 22, 1949) is an American composer, best known for his scores and songs for films produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios. His scores and songs for ''The Little Mermaid'' (1989), ''Beauty and the Beast'' (1991), ''A ...
revealed that he was working alongside Lasseter on a project for the studio, which was later announced to be ''Split'', which at that point was ''The Unbreakable Spell'' before retitled ''Spellbound''. Skydance formally acquired Ilion Animation Studios and rebranded it as Skydance Animation Madrid in April 2020. On July 30, the studio named Shane Prigmore for the newly created position of Senior Vice President of Development for Animation, in which he will oversee the creative development of all feature films and television series. That same month, it was announced that ''Luck'' and ''Spellbound'' were still going to be released by Paramount without Paramount Animation as part of their deal with Skydance Media, giving the two release dates of February 18, 2022, and November 11, 2022, respectively. Paramount's president of domestic distribution, Chris Aronson stated "These films not only continue our longstanding relationship with Skydance, but, along with Paramount Animation's own upcoming films, mean we will be releasing event-level animated films for years to come." However, on December 16, 2020,
Apple TV+
Apple TV is a digital media player and microconsole developed and marketed by Apple Inc. It is a small network appliance hardware that plays received media data such as video and audio to a television set or external display. Since its secon ...
entered talks to take over the distribution rights to the films ''Luck'' and ''Spellbound''.
Apple Original Films
Apple TV+ is a global on-demand Internet streaming media provider, owned and operated by Apple Inc., that features a number of original programs that includes original series, specials, miniseries, documentaries, and films distributed under A ...
would replace Paramount for both ''Luck'' and ''Spellbound''. More recently, in February 2021, Apple signed an overall deal with Skydance Animation which included animated films and television series. This includes a television adaptation of the novel ''
The Search for WondLa
''The Search for WondLa'' is a children's science fiction fantasy novel by Tony DiTerlizzi published in 2010. It is the first book of the ''WondLa'' series. The website dedicated to the book had an innovative section which interacts with the book' ...
'' by
Tony DiTerlizzi
Tony M. DiTerlizzi (born September 6, 1969) is an American fantasy artist, children's book creator, and motion picture producer.
In the gaming industry, he is best known for his work in the collectible card game ''Magic: The Gathering'' and on ...
. The series has been greenlit for two seasons and was announced to feature showrunner
Lauren Montgomery
Lauren Eve Montgomery (born May 4, 1980) is an American storyboard artist, television director, film director, character designer, film producer, television producer, and television writer.
Early life
Lauren Montgomery became interested in drawi ...
as both writer and executive producer with DiTerlizzi and Chad Quant. She has since left the project and has been replaced by Bobs Gannaway, another of Lasseter's Disney-era colleagues. On June 2020, Shane Prigmore, an animation veteran who co-created ''
Tangled: The Series'', was hired as SVP Development at Skydance Animation. He will be tasked with overseeing the creative development of all films and TV series on the studio's production slate.
On October 1, 2021, Skydance Animation released its first short film inspired by a true story from Joe Mateo called ''
Blush''. It was released on Apple TV+ as part of their multi-year deal. The ships from the short film became the mascots of the studio during the release of ''Luck'', and a portion of Joy Ngiaw's score was used for the fanfare of the studio.
In February 2022, it was announced that
Brad Bird
Phillip Bradley Bird (born September 24, 1957) is an American film director, animator, screenwriter, producer, and voice actor. He has had a career spanning forty years in both animation and live-action.
Bird was born in Montana and grew up in ...
would revive his long-dormant project ''Ray Gunn'' for Skydance Animation after it was originally set up at
Turner Feature Animation
Turner Entertainment Company is an American multimedia company founded by Ted Turner in 1986. Purchased by Time Warner in 1996 as part of its acquisition of Turner Broadcasting System (TBS), the company was largely responsible for overseeing th ...
. On March 16, 2022,
Rich Moore
Rich Moore is an American film and television animation director, screenwriter and voice actor. He has directed the films ''Wreck-It Ralph'' (2012) and co-directed ''Zootopia'' (2016) and '' Ralph Breaks the Internet'' (2018) for Walt Disney ...
revealed that he has entered into an exclusive, multi-year overall deal with Skydance Animation. In July 2022, Ellison and Lasseter plan for Skydance Animation to make two feature films a year, with their theatrical strategy to be determined on a film-by-film basis. The company is also building a consumer products team to capitalize on its potential successes and will begin to open a 5.8-acre Santa Monica campus in October, expected to be completed by November 2023.
Filmography
Feature films
Released
Upcoming
Short films
Television series
Upcoming
Reception
Critical and public response
Accolades
See also
*
Walt Disney Animation Studios
Walt Disney Animation Studios (WDAS), sometimes shortened to Disney Animation, is an American animation studio that creates animated features and short films for The Walt Disney Company. The studio's current production logo features a scene fro ...
*
Pixar
Pixar Animation Studios (commonly known as Pixar () and stylized as P I X A R) is an American computer animation studio known for its critically and commercially successful computer animated feature films. It is based in Emeryville, Californi ...
*
Paramount Animation
Paramount Animation is an American animation studio, serving as the animation division and label of Paramount Pictures, a subsidiary of Paramount Global. The division was founded on July 6, 2011, following the box office success of Paramount's own ...
References
External links
Official website
{{John Lasseter
2017 establishments in California
American companies established in 2017
Skydance Media
American animation studios
Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on cinema
Entertainment companies based in California
Film production companies of the United States
Mass media companies established in 2017
Companies based in Santa Monica, California