Disney Shuts Down DisneyToon Studios
The Walt Disney Company is shuttering DisneyToon Studios, the company’s third animation house founded in 1990. The studio produced 47 feature films, beginning with DuckTales the Movie: Treasure of the Lost Lamp in 1990. The studio was best known for the six-film Fairies franchise and Planes. The studios’ focus was mostly on spin-offs and sequels.
“After much consideration, we have made the decision to end production activity and close DisneyToon Studios,” a Disney spokesperson said in a statement. The move to shut down the studio had been in the works and is unrelated to the promotions of Pete Docter and Jennifer Lee as chief creative officers of Pixar and Disney Animation.
There will be layoffs of around 75 animators and staff, and it is unclear if any will be transitioned to Disney’s other animation departments.
The studio was founded under the name Disney MovieToons, and was renamed DisneyToon Studios in 2004. Other notable films from the studio include A Goofy Movie, An Extremely Goofy Movie, and Lilo & Stitch 2: Stitch Has a Glitch.
The studio was releasing movies every year until their final feature film, 2015’s Tinker Bell and the Legend of the NeverBeast.
A third Planes film was in development, which was going to explore aviation in outer space. The film was set for release on April 12, 2019. The film was removed from the theatrical release schedule back in March and is no longer in development.
As children’s viewing patterns shift toward streaming platforms and away from Blu-ray/DVD ownership, along with dwindling sales, it’s easy to understand Disney’s reasoning for winding down the animation house.
Are you sad to see DisneyToon Studios go? What was you favorite film from the studio? Let us know down in the comments.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
