As reported by Deadline, Disney has decided to close down Blue Sky Studios, the former 20th Century Fox property.
The animation studio has churned out 13 films, including the Ice Age franchise. The Ice Age series grossed US$3.2 billion at the global box office. The last Blue Sky release was Spies in Disguise, starring Will Smith and Tom Holland. With Smith and Holland on board, the studio was hoping this film would spawn a franchise. Unfortunately, the film’s lackluster performance at the box office prevented this from happening.
Why Shut The Studio?
A spokesperson from Disney told Deadline, “Given the current economic realities, after much consideration and evaluation, we have made the difficult decision to close filmmaking operations at Blue Sky Studios.” The animation studio’s library and related IP will remain a part of Disney. So Ice Age will still carry on, especially since there is already a series based on the characters in the works at Disney Plus.
Some projects will bite the dust, however. Patrick Osbourne’s Nimona, which was slated to be released January 2022, will not continue production. The project had 10 months left in production.
The Impact
Some 450 employees will be affected, and currently, there aren’t any plans for any other major studio to take in Blue Sky’s employees and handle its operations.
In 2019, the previous Disney Animation Studios president Andrew Millstein was named co-president of Blue Sky Studios, running things with co-president Rob Baird. Now, both Millstein and Baird are expected to exit since Blue Sky is closing its doors.
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