The company ended its distribution pact with Apple Studios, signing a multi-year agreement with Netflix.
Skydance Animation will now exclusively release its animated movies directly to Netflix in an arrangement spanning multiple years. The studio’s existing slate will also move from Apple TV to Netflix.
The first movie to be released under the new deal be Spellbound in 2024. This 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. The agreement does not include theatrical releases.
The deal is expected to reenergise Netflix’s animation efforts which have been struggling lately. Two Netflix features in preproduction were halted and the animation division has been in a state of restructuring.
Speaking about the Skydance Animation pact, Netflix co-chief Ted Sarandos said: “It’s a very long cycle of development and production, sometimes it can take a decade to deliver a really great animated feature film. That deal helps us to complement the work that we’re doing…..there’s a lot of appetite for animated features and we’re committed to that part of the business.”
Outside of animation, Skydance and Netflix have worked together on a multitude of projects, including action films The Old Guard and The Adam Project as well as series like FUBAR and Grace and Frankie
