With Nimona set as its first release, Annapurna Pictures has launched its own animation studio.
The division will be co-led by former Disney animation execs Robert Baird and Andrew Millstein. They collaborated with Annapurna on the long-gestating animated movie Nimona, which will debut on Netflix next year.
“Robert and I have had an inspiring experience collaborating with Megan, Nathan, and Annapurna. We’re excited to bring incredible animated stories to Annapurna’s portfolio of talent-led projects,” Millstein said in a statement.
Nimona started production at Blue Sky Studios before its parent, Fox, was acquired by Disney and subsequently shuttered the animation studio. The animated pic moved to Netflix, under the direction of Nick Bruno and Troy Quane, and follows a knight who is framed for a crime he didn’t commit and a shape-shifting teen named Nimona. DNEG is behind the animation.
Millstein and Baird previously headed Fox /Disney’s Blue Sky Studios, where they led over 500 filmmakers and oversaw development and production of Blue Sky’s feature animation slate. During Millstein’s tenure as president of Walt Disney Animation Studios, the company released Big Hero 6, Zootopia, Moana and Ralph Breaks the Internet.
“We are excited to have Andrew and Robert joining Annapurna. Working with them and the Nimona team has been an incredible experience and we cannot wait for audiences to see the film,” Megan Ellison, founder and CEO of Annapurna, said in her own statement.