Netflix has acquired Australian animation and visual effects studio Animal Logic, the companies said Tuesday.
Animal Logic, based in Sydney and with a satellite office in Vancouver, Canada, has been involved in The Lego movie franchise, happy feet, Peter Rabbit and other productions, including the upcoming The wizard’s elephant, for Netflix. In the field of visual effects, the company has worked on: The Matrix and The Great Gatsby, among other titles. The companies say the deal will boost Netflix’s animation ambitions by creating “a global creative production team and animation studio that will produce some of Netflix’s biggest animated film titles.”
The streaming company added that it will “continue to work with many other studios around the world for animated series and movie needs.”
“Netflix has invested in animation in recent years and this reinforces our commitment to building a world-class animation studio,” said Amy Reinhard, Netflix VP of Studio Operations, in a statement. “Animal Logic is a leading animation studio with innovative technology that will strengthen our existing business and increase our long-term capability in the animation space so we can better entertain our members around the world.”
Animation has become a vital source of investment for streaming companies. With the leader in space, Disney, increasingly bringing animated titles exclusively or shortly after launch on Disney+ (Pixar’s light year will hit the service on August 3rd, Netflix is trying to make sure it also has a reliable animation pipeline.
Netflix also recently acquired the rights to Roald Dahl’s characters, many of which could be ripe for animated adaptations.
The terms of the deal have not been disclosed, but it is expected to close by the end of the year.
“After 30 years of producing great work with great people, this is the perfect next chapter for Animal Logic,” said Zareh Nalbandian, co-founder and CEO of Animal Logic. “Our values and aspirations couldn’t be more aligned with Netflix, partnering with diverse content creators to produce innovative and compelling stories for audiences around the world. Our collective experience and talent will open new doors for all our teams and enable a new level of creativity in animation.”
