The new studio will be led by its current group head of production Sharon Taylor, who will now take up the role of executive vice president and general manager in Vancouver.
“Sharon has been a key driver in the growth and success of Animal Logic over the last 10 years,” said Zareh Nalbandian, chairman and CEO of Animal Logic. “I’m confident that her deep knowledge of our company and its culture, coupled with her collaborative leadership style and amazing energy, will ensure the success of our new Vancouver studio.”
Taylor, in partnership with the Vancouver management team, will lead the Cambie Street studio, as it ramps up for the start of production on The LEGO Movie Sequel in January 2016. The LEGO Movie Sequel is the first film in what is a three-picture deal with Warner Bros. The two subsequent LEGO titles have yet to be announced.
The company has had a 15-year relationship with Warner Bros. (Happy Feet, Legend of The Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole and The LEGO Movie).
“We are delighted to officially open our doors in Vancouver,” said Taylor. “The city has such a rich and diverse talent pool that it made perfect sense for us to expand our operations into Canada to support our growing slate of animated productions.”
“Animal Logic Vancouver is a significant expansion of our global capabilities while being the perfect complement to our operations in Sydney and Los Angeles and I’m excited that we’re doing so in such a fantastic city and with such incredibly talented crew,” Nalbandian added.
Animal Logic’s Sydney studio will continue in production on the recently announced animated features LEGO Batman and Ninjago (due for release in 2017), with another as yet unnamed animated feature to follow.
