Why Netflix Is a Better Streaming Fit for Skydance Animation Than Apple

Bill Desowitz
·3 min read
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David Ellison’s fledgling Skydance Animation — run by head of animation John Lasseter and president Holly Edwards — has moved its movie slate from Apple Studios to Netflix. The multi-year streaming deal commences with next year’s musical fantasy “Spellbound,” directed by Vicky Jenson (“Shrek” and “Shark Tale”), featuring the voice talent of Rachel Zegler, Nicole Kidman, and Javier Bardem, and boasting a score from Alan Menkin and original songs with lyricist Glen Slater. It’s about a princess who tries to reverse a spell that transformed her parents into monsters.

Set for release in 2025 is “Pookoo,” a buddy comedy about two enemies — a woodland creature and a majestic bird — that magically trade places. It’s helmed by former Disney director Nathan Greno (“Tangled”), with original music composed by Siddhartha Khosla.

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Also in the works are two prestigious features that are a result of Lasseter’s strong relationships with directors Brad Bird (“The Incredibles,” “Ratatouille”) and Rich Moore (“Zootopia,” “Wreck-It Ralph”) formerly with Pixar and Disney, respectively. Bird is finally making his sci-fi/noir passion project “Ray Gunn,” and Moore (who departed Disney for Sony before landing at Skydance) is developing an untitled “Jack and the Beanstalk” project (not to be confused with Disney’s shelved “Gigantic”).

“Ray Gunn” is a retro-futuristic detective story set in Metropia, which Bird developed with co-writer Matthew Robbins at Warner Bros. Animation in the ’90s. However, the studio shelved the 2D feature because it was deemed too dark and risky, so Bird pivoted to “Iron Giant” instead, and that cult classic eventually brought him to Pixar to make “The Incredibles.”

When Lasseter became head of Skydance Animation in January 2019, his first major deal was bringing Bird to Skydance to make “Ray Gunn” (which is now CG-animated). But IndieWire has learned that the project has undergone a trying development process that has seen the budget trimmed. In addition, Apple expressed a lack of interest in distributing the film.

For this reason alone, the Netflix deal is a godsend for Skydance since the streamer has the resources and clout to fully support Bird’s ambitious vision for “Ray Gunn” (a sure Oscar contender), Moore’s “Jack and the Beanstock,” and the rest of the slate moving forward. In addition, because of Netflix’s first Oscar win with “Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio,” it also has the ability to mount formidable awards campaigns. Plus, the Netflix deal will allow Lasseter to recruit more prestigious directors to Skydance to make superior animated movies and be competitive once again after his controversial fall from grace at Pixar/Disney.

When Lasseter arrived at Skydance, he inherited “Luck,” “Spellbound,” and “Pookoo.” He also oversaw the shorts “Blush” and “Bad Luck Spot.” Lasseter revamped the fantasy-comedy “Luck,” recruiting director Peggy Holmes (who worked with him on the “Fairies” franchise at DisneyToon Studios). The infrastructure consisted of front-end creative work at Skydance in L.A. with animation done at Skydance Animation Madrid and a Connecticut-based studio comprised of former Blue Sky artists. Skydance Animation continues to operate creative and physical production out of L.A. and Madrid. If needed, Netflix might also offer the services of its own animation studio, Australia-based Animal Logic.

This Oscar season Netflix has “Nimona,” adapted from ND Stevenson’s best-selling LGBTQ graphic novel about the titular shapeshifter battling xenophobia in a futuristic medieval world, and Aardman’s “Chicken: Run: Dawn of the Nugget,” the sequel to the top-grossing stop-motion feature in history.

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