Locksmith Animation

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Locksmith Animation Ltd.
TypeSubsidiary
IndustryFilm industry
3D CGI animation
Founded5 March 2014
FounderSarah Smith
Julie Lockhart
Elisabeth Murdoch[1]
Headquarters
113 Regent's Park Road, London, England
,
United Kingdom
Key people
Natalie Fischer (CEO)
Julie Lockhart (President)
OwnerSarah Smith
Julie Lockhart
Elisabeth Murdoch
Natalie Fischer
ParentSister Pictures Ltd.
Websitewww.locksmithanimation.com

Locksmith Animation Ltd. (also known as Locksmith Animation Studios and simply known as Locksmith) is a British 3D CGI animation feature film studio founded by Aardman Animations collaborators Sarah Smith and Julie Lockhart with the financial backing of Elisabeth Murdoch on March 5, 2014. Based in London, England, Locksmith bills itself as "the only high-end 3D CGI animation feature film studio in the United Kingdom, making 3D CGI-animated feature films which are all made for kids and adults of all ages."[2]

History[edit]

Locksmith was founded on 5 March 2014 by Aardman Animations collaborators Sarah Smith and Julie Lockhart with the financial backing of Elisabeth Murdoch.[3] In April 2014, visual effects and animation studio Double Negative (now known as DNEG) formed a deal with Locksmith where it will provide the computer animation for Locksmith's films.[4]

In May 2016, Locksmith formed a production deal with Paramount Pictures, with Paramount acting as the distributor for Locksmith's films to be produced under the Paramount Animation label.[3] The following year, however, Paramount abandoned its deal with Locksmith when Paramount chairman and CEO Brad Grey was replaced by Jim Gianopulos.[5]

In September 2017, Locksmith formed a multi-year production deal with 20th Century Fox, which would distribute Locksmith's films; 20th Century Fox Animation was brought in to oversee the deal, as Locksmith was aiming to release a film every 12–18 months.[5][6] The first film to be released under the production company was Ron's Gone Wrong, which was released on 22 October 2021 by 20th Century Studios.[5][7] In October 2019, while Disney took over 20th Century Animation, Locksmith formed a new multi-year production deal with Warner Bros., which will distribute future Locksmith films under the Warner Animation Group label after the release of Ron's Gone Wrong, which was now the only Locksmith film to be distributed by 20th Century Studios.[1]

In June 2021, it was announced that Natalie Fischer, the former COO of Illumination Entertainment, will step in as CEO. Locksmith co-founder Sarah Smith exits the company to pursue her own creative endeavours. It was also announced that Locksmith is currently in production on That Christmas, a holiday film based on filmmaker Richard Curtis' children’s book series, and Wed Wabbit, a live-action/animated hybrid film based on Lissa Evans' children's book and working on an original musical-comedy film.[8] That Christmas was unveiled in June 2022 as part of Netflix's slate of animated films.[9]

In January 2022, Locksmith had optioned to adapt Marissa Meyer's fantasy novel series The Lunar Chronicles.[10]

Productions[edit]

Feature films[edit]

Released films[edit]

Title Release date Distributor Co-production with Animation service(s) Budget Gross Rotten Tomatoes Metacritic CinemaScore
Ron's Gone Wrong 22 October 2021 20th Century Studios[a] 20th Century Animation
TSG Entertainment		 DNEG TBA $60.6 million 80% (98 reviews)[11] 65 (23 reviews)[12] A[13]

Upcoming films/Films in development[edit]

Title Release date Distributor Co-production with Animation service(s) Production Status Ref.
That Christmas TBA Netflix[14] Netflix Animation DNEG Post-production [15]
Untitled original musical-comedy film Warner Bros. Pictures Warner Animation Group TBA In-Development [16]
Wed Wabbit [17]

Accolades[edit]

Annie Awards[edit]

Year Film Category Recipient(s) Result
2021 Ron's Gone Wrong Outstanding Achievement for
Character Design in a Feature Production 		Julien Bizat Nominated
Outstanding Achievement for
Production Design in an Animated Feature Production 		Aurélien Predal, Till Nowak and Nathan Crowley

British Animation Awards[edit]

Year Film Category Recipient(s) Result
2022 Ron's Gone Wrong Best Long Form Sarah Smith, Jean-Philippe Vine and Octavio E. Rodriguez Won
Best Design
Writers Award Sarah Smith and Peter Baynham Nominated

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ through Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b Clarke, Stewart (31 October 2019). "Warner Signs Multi-Picture Deal With Elisabeth Murdoch's Locksmith Animation". Variety. Retrieved 1 November 2019.
  2. ^ "ABOUT US". Locksmith Animation. Retrieved 15 February 2018.
  3. ^ a b "Paramount and Locksmith Animation Enter Exclusive Multi-Pic Deal". Animation Magazine. 4 May 2016. Retrieved 15 February 2018.
  4. ^ Emmett, Neil (11 April 2014). "British Studios Locksmith and Double Negative Plan To Make CG Features". Cartoon Brew. Retrieved 15 February 2018.
  5. ^ a b c Lang, Brent (20 September 2017). "Fox, Locksmith Animation Ink Multi-Year Production, Development Deal (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety Magazine. Retrieved 15 February 2018.
  6. ^ Amidi, Amid (20 September 2017). "UK's Locksmith Animation Announces Production Agreement with 20th Century Fox". Cartoon Brew. Retrieved 15 February 2018.
  7. ^ N'Duka, Amanda (12 October 2017). "20th Century Fox & Locksmith Animation Slate 'Ron's Gone Wrong' As First Project". Deadline. Retrieved 15 February 2018.
  8. ^ Yossman, K.J. (10 June 2021). "Liz Murdoch's Locksmith Animation Hires Natalie Fischer as CEO, Co-Founder Sarah Smith Exits". Variety. Retrieved 18 June 2021.
  9. ^ Milligan, Mercedes (9 June 2022). "Netflix Sets Bold Slate of Animation from Europe Ahead of Annecy". Animation Magazine. Retrieved 8 August 2022.
  10. ^ Grobar, Matt (25 January 2022). "The Lunar Chronicles: Locksmith Animation Options Marissa Meyer's New York Times Bestselling Novel Series For Film". Deadline. Retrieved 26 January 2022.
  11. ^ "Ron's Gone Wrong". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved 24 March 2022.
  12. ^ "Ron's Gone Wrong Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
  13. ^ El-Mahmoud, Sarah (27 October 2021). "Could Ron's Gone Wrong Get A Sequel? Here's What The Filmmakers Say". Cinemablend.
  14. ^ Milligan, Mercedes (9 June 2022). "Netflix Sets Bold Slate of Animation from Europe Ahead of Annecy". Animation Magazine. Retrieved 9 June 2022.
  15. ^ Motayor, Rafael (14 June 2021). "Simon Otto to Helm Animated 'That Christmas' Adaptation, Based on Books by 'Love Actually' Writer". Collider. Retrieved 14 June 2021.
  16. ^ Yossman, K.J. (10 June 2021). "Liz Murdoch's Locksmith Animation Hires Natalie Fischer as CEO, Co-Founder Sarah Smith Exits". Variety. Retrieved 18 June 2021.
  17. ^ White, Peter (29 January 2018). "Locksmith Animation Sets Up Animated Feature Based On 'Wed Wabbit' Kids' Books". Deadline. Retrieved 15 February 2018.

External links[edit]

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