Skydance Animation is making the leap from Apple to Netflix, bringing with it an animation slate that features tasks from animation legend Brad Bird and heavy-hitters. This regardless of large modifications inside Netflix, which is within the strategy of restructuring its animation division amid layoffs and cancellations.
THR studies that the brand new deal will convey Spellbound, an animated movie starring Rachel Zegler, Nicole Kidman, and Javier Barden, to the platform. Other motion pictures making the leap includ Pookoo, the brand new film by Tangled director Nathan Greno, in addition to Brad Bird’s Ray Gunn and an untitled Jack and the Beanstalk mission from Zootopia director Rich Moore.
Not a lot is understood about Ray Gunn, which can be Bird’s first movie since 2018’s The Incredibles 2. It has been described as a ardour mission that Bird co-wrote with Matthew Robbins for Warner Bros. Animation means again within the Nineties. It is alleged to take inspiration from Thirties science fiction, combining the excessive fantasy of Buck Rogers with gritty pulp novels.
As for Moore, he signed a multi-year deal to develop motion pictures for Skydance again in 2017. While he is best-known for his work on Zootopia, he additionally directed a number of golden age episodes of The Simpsons, profitable an Emmy for Homer vs. Lisa and the eighth Commandment.
That’s a reasonably large lineup, nevertheless it comes as Netflix rethinks its strategy to animation general. Recent cutbacks noticed Netflix shut down work on Tunga and Escape from Beverly Hills, the latter of which returned to the open market. Netflix can be planning layoffs within the “coming weeks,” although a remaining headcount has not but been confirmed. In the meantime, Netflix is planning to lift costs as soon as once more even because it studies near 9 million new subscribers.
Spellbound, which is slated to launch in 2024, would be the first film launched beneath the brand new deal, with Pookoo arriving in 2025.
Kat Bailey is IGN’s News Director in addition to co-host of Nintendo Voice Chat. Have a tip? Send her a DM at @the_katbot.
