Skydance Animation, a relatively new animation studio with influence from former Disney/Pixar animation head John Lasseter, will be moving their upcoming features from Apple to Netflix, according to Variety.
What’s Happening:
- Skydance Animation, run by John Lasseter with Holly Edwards as president, will now exclusively release its animated movies directly to Netflix in an arrangement that will span multiple years, with the studio’s existing slate also moving exclusively to the streamer.
- The first film to be affected by this move will be Spellbound, which was previously set to be released through Apple. The film, starring Rachel Zegler and Tituss Burgess, is now set for release by Netflix in 2024.
- That will be followed by Pookoo in 2025. Future films include Ray Gunn, directed by Brad Bird and an untitled Jack and the Beanstalk project directed by Rich Moore.
- At the moment, there are no planned theatrical releases as part of the new Netflix-Skydance Animation agreement.
- While the animation deal has ended, Apple and Skydance will continue its business on live-action films and series, including movies from Mark Wahlberg (The Family Plan) and Anya Taylor-Joy (The Gorge).
- Netflix and Skydance already have an existing live-action deal as well, producing such shows as FUBAR, Grace and Frankie, and Altered Carbon.
- Apple and Skydance Animation only released one film together, Luck, and mutually agreed that Spellbound was not a fit for Apple’s expanding narrative slate, thus necessitating its move to Netflix.