Sony Pictures Animation

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Sony Pictures Animation
Type Subsidiary of Sony Pictures Entertainment
Industry Animated film industry
Founded May 2002
Headquarters Culver City, California, USA
Key people Michelle Raimo Kouyate, President[1]
Products Animated films
Owner(s) Sony
Parent Sony Pictures Entertainment
Website www.sonypicturesanimation.com

Sony Pictures Animation is an American computer-animated film production company owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment, founded in May 2002. It is working closely with Sony Pictures Imageworks, which takes care of the digital production. Theatrical releases are distributed by Columbia Pictures, and direct-to-video releases are distributed by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.

Their first feature film Open Season was released on September 29, 2006. The studio's most financially successful movie to date is The Smurfs.

Contents

History [edit]

In 2001, Sony Pictures Entertainment considered selling off its visual effects facility Sony Pictures Imageworks. After failing to find a suitable buyer, and having been impressed with the CGI sequences created for Stuart Little 2, and seeing the box office success of Shrek and Monsters, Inc., SPI was reconfigured to become an animation studio. Astro Boy, which had been in development at Sony since 1997 as a live-action film, was set to be SPI's first all-CGI film.[2] In May 2002, Sony Pictures Animation was established to develop characters, stories and movies, with SPI taking over the digital production while maintaining its visual effects production.[3] Meanwhile, SPI produced two short films, The ChubbChubbs! and Early Bloomer, as a result of testing its strengths and weakness in producing all-CG animation.[4]

On its first anniversary, Sony Pictures Animation announced a full slate of animated projects in development: Open Season, an adaptation of a Celtic folk ballad Tam Lin, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, Surf's Up, and a feature length version of the short film The ChubbChubbs!.[5]

Its first feature film was Open Season; it was released in September 2006 and it became Sony's second-highest-grossing home entertainment film in 2007 and spawned two direct-to-video sequels. Its second feature film, Surf's Up was released in June 2007, and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, and won two Annie Awards. A motion captured animated film Neaderthals,[6] written and produced by Jon Favreau, was cancelled sometime in 2008,[7] after four years in development. SPA's first 3D movie, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, was released in September 2009, and was nominated for four Annie Awards including Best Animated Feature. The Smurfs (2011) was the studio's first CGI/live-action hybrid and its most successful release. SPA's parent company Sony Pictures Entertainment has partnered in 2007 with Aardman Animations to finance, co-produce and distribute feature films.[8] Together, they produced a computer-animated film, Arthur Christmas (2011), and The Pirates! Band of Misfits (2012), Sony's first stop-motion film, although made entirely by Aardman. Sony's latest release, Hotel Transylvania, directed by Genndy Tartakovsky, was released in September 2012. SPA has since signed Tartakovsky to a long-term deal with the studio to develop and direct original films.[9]

Sony Pictures Animation is currently working on The Smurfs 2 (2013), Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 (2013), Popeye (2014), The Smurfs 3 (2015), and Hotel Transylvania 2 (2015), and has many other projects in development, including Kazorn and the Unicorn and Secret Histories.[10]

Filmography [edit]

Feature films [edit]

Released films

# Title Release date Budget Gross RT
1 Open Season 02006-09-29September 29, 2006 $85,000,000 $197,309,027 48%
2 Surf's Up 02007-06-08June 8, 2007 $100,000,000 $149,044,513 78%
3 Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 02009-09-18September 18, 2009 $100,000,000 $243,006,126 86%
4 The Smurfs 02011-07-29July 29, 2011 $110,000,000 $563,749,323 23%
5 Arthur Christmas 02011-11-23November 23, 2011 $100,000,000 $147,419,472 91%
6 The Pirates! Band of Misfits 02012-04-27April 27, 2012 $55,000,000 $121,637,375 86%
7 Hotel Transylvania 02012-09-28September 28, 2012 $85,000,000 $346,462,874 43%

Upcoming films

Title Release date Ref(s)
The Smurfs 2 02013-07-31July 31, 2013 [11][12]
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 02013-09-27September 27, 2013 [13][14][15]
Popeye 02014-09-26September 26, 2014 [16][17]
The Smurfs 3 02015-07-24July 24, 2015 [18][19]
Hotel Transylvania 2 02015-09-25September 25, 2015 [17]

Films in development

Title Ref(s)
RollerCoaster Tycoon [20]
Make My Own Monster [21]
Muncle Trogg [22]
How to Survive a Garden Gnome Attack [23]
Instant Karma [24]
Chickenhare [25]
Harold and the Purple Crayon [26]
How to Live Forever [27]
Secret Histories [27][28][29]
Untitled David Sussman Project [30]
Untitled Tonka Trucks movie [31]
Kazorn and the Unicorn [32][33]
ALF [34]
Manimal [35]
The Familiars [36][37][38]

Direct-to-video [edit]

# Title Release date
1 Open Season 2 02009-01-27January 27, 2009
2 Open Season 3 02011-01-25January 25, 2011

Short films [edit]

# Title Release date
1 The ChubbChubbs! 02002-07-03July 3, 2002
2 Early Bloomer 02003-05-09May 9, 2003
3 Boog and Elliot's Midnight Bun Run 02007-01-30January 30, 2007
4 The ChubbChubbs Save Xmas 02007-08-08August 8, 2007
5 The Smurfs: A Christmas Carol 02011-12-02December 2, 2011
6 So You Want to Be a Pirate! 02012-08-28August 28, 2012
7 Goodnight Mr. Foot 02012-10-26October 26, 2012
8 The Smurfs: The Legend of Smurfy Hollow[39] 02013-06-13June 13, 2013

References [edit]

  1. ^ Finke, Nikki (2010-11-04). "EXCLUSIVE: Michelle Raimo Named New President of Sony Pictures Animation". Deadline.com. Retrieved 2010-11-05. 
  2. ^ Brodesser, Claude (December 9, 2001). "Sony finds Rx for its f/x". Variety. Retrieved September 1, 2011. 
  3. ^ "Sony Pictures Digital Entertainment Establishes Feature Animation Unit; Animation Executives Sandra Rabins and Penney Finkelman Cox Named to Top Posts" (Press release). 2002-05-09. Retrieved 2011-08-01. 
  4. ^ Raugust, Karen (2006-05-30). "The Value of Shorts". Animation World Network. Retrieved 2011-07-22. 
  5. ^ "Sony Pictures Animation Announces Projects for Directors Jill Culton, Anthony Stacchi, Roger Allers, Brenda Chapman and the Brizzi Brothers Cox Named to Top Posts" (Press release). 2003-05-09. Retrieved 2011-08-01. 
  6. ^ Adler, Shawn (2008-01-09). "Jon Favreau Gets Animated For 'Neanderthals'". MTV. Retrieved 2011-08-01. 
  7. ^ Serrano, Armand (2010-04-19). "Neanderthals". Armand Serrano Blog. Retrieved 2011-08-01. 
  8. ^ BBC News (2007-04-02). "Gromit animators sign Sony deal". BBC News. Retrieved 2010-11-07. 
  9. ^ Sony Pictures Animation (July 11, 2012). "Genndy Tartakovsky Signs Overall Deal with Sony Pictures Animation". ComingSoon.net. Retrieved September 28, 2012. 
  10. ^ Wolfe, Jennifer (August 2, 2012). "Sony Announces Behind-the-Scenes Presentations at SIGGRAPH 2012". Animation World Network. Retrieved August 19, 2012. 
  11. ^ "Sony Pictures Moving Forward with Smurfs 2". ComingSoon.net. 2011-08-09. Retrieved 2011-08-09. 
  12. ^ Goldberg, Matt (March 29, 2012). "New Release Dates for THE SMURFS 2, THE SAMARITAN and the Farrelly/Wessler Star-Packed Comedy Anthology". Collider.com. Retrieved March 30, 2012. 
  13. ^ Woerner, Meredith (2010-04-12). "Cloudy With Meatballs 2 Is Happening — Minus The Original Directors". Io9. Retrieved 2010-10-21. 
  14. ^ "The Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs Sequel Gets a Title". ComingSoon.net. 2012-02-29. Retrieved 2012-02-29. 
  15. ^ "Cloudy 2: Revenge of the Leftovers". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved March 16, 2012. 
  16. ^ Siegel, Tatiana; McNary, Dave (2010-03-22). "Sony's 'Popeye' to pop eyes in 3D". Variety. Retrieved 2010-11-15. 
  17. ^ a b Kit, Borys (November 9, 2012). "'Hotel Transylvania 2' in the Works for 2015 Release". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved November 10, 2012. 
  18. ^ Sneider, Jeff (May 10, 2012). "Sony already smurfing 'Smurfs 3'". Variety. Retrieved May 10, 2012. 
  19. ^ "The Smurfs 3 Trailer, News, Videos, and Reviews". ComingSoon.net. May 28, 2012. Retrieved May 28, 2012. 
  20. ^ Kit, Borys (2010-05-13). ""Rollercoaster Tycoon" riding to the screen". Reuters. Retrieved 2010-10-26. 
  21. ^ Idelson, Karen (2010-09-30). "Gotham builds new model on tooned-up frame". Variety. Retrieved 2010-12-16. 
  22. ^ Kit, Borys (2011-03-31). "Sony Pictures Animation Acquires 'Muncle Trogg'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2011-04-06. 
  23. ^ Sneider, Jeff (2011-04-14). "Sony Animation, Zemeckis dig 'Gnome'". Variety. Retrieved 2011-04-15. 
  24. ^ Kit, Borys (2011-04-27). "Sony Pictures Animation Acquires 'Instant Karma'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2011-04-28. 
  25. ^ "Sony Animation Catches Chickenhare" (Press release). Sony Pictures Animation via Animation World Network. 2011-07-20. Retrieved 2011-07-21. 
  26. ^ Rowles, Dustin (February 25, 2010). "Exclusive: Harold and the Purple Crayon Headed to the Big Screen". Pajiba. Retrieved August 13, 2011. 
  27. ^ a b "Gotham builds slate". Variety. September 30, 2010. Retrieved August 17, 2011. 
  28. ^ Kit, Borys (July 13, 2012). "'Vacation' Team Tapped to Rewrite 'Secret Histories' (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved July 14, 2012. 
  29. ^ Chitwood, Adam (March 6, 2013). "John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein Talk VACATION and SECRET HISTORIES; Reveal VACATION Starts Filming in June in Atlanta and New Mexico". Collider.com. Retrieved March 7, 2013. 
  30. ^ Kroll, Justin (January 18, 2011). "Sony Animation buys 'Enchanted' helmer's pitch". Variety. Retrieved September 18, 2011. 
  31. ^ "Sony Pictures Animation Drives Tonka Trucks to the Big Screen". ComingSoon.net. June 11, 2012. Retrieved June 11, 2012. 
  32. ^ Patten, Dominic (June 23, 2012). "Sony Animation In Talks With Kelly Asbury For ‘Kazorn & The Unicorn’". Deadline. Retrieved June 22, 2012. 
  33. ^ Hulett, Steve (April 19, 2013). "Down at the SPA". The Animation Guild Blog. Retrieved April 20, 2013. 
  34. ^ Kit, Borys (August 8, 2012). "'ALF' Movie Lands at Sony Animation With 'Smurfs' Producer (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved August 9, 2012. 
  35. ^ Kit, Borys (September 17, 2012). "'Manimal' TV Series Being Turned Into Movie at Sony Pictures Animation (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved September 17, 2012. 
  36. ^ Adam Jay Epstein and Andrew Jacobson (2010-09-24). ""The Familiars" movie gets a director". The Familiars. Retrieved 2010-10-04. 
  37. ^ Charaipotra, Sona (2011-05-13). "Debut Author Q&A: Endcap Entertainment’s Andrew Jacobson and Adam Epstein On ‘The Familiars’". Teen Writers Bloc. Retrieved 2011-06-11. 
  38. ^ Jardine, William (January 7, 2013). "UPDATED: Warner Bros. Looks to Rejuvenate its Animation House". A113 Animation. Retrieved January 9, 2013. 
  39. ^ Hill, Jim (April 17, 2013). "Sony Pictures Animation: Reinventing How Toons Are Made". Huffington Post. Retrieved April 18, 2013. 

External links [edit]
Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group
Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions
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SPT U.S. networks
SPT International networks
Home Entertainment
Sony Pictures Digital
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Key personnel
Sony Pictures Animation
Feature films
Computer-animated
Live-action/animated
Produced with
Aardman Animations
Upcoming films
Direct-to-video
Short films
Franchises
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Technologies and brands
Historical products
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Novels
The Pirates! in an Adventure with: Scientists · Whaling (Ahab)  · Communists · Napoleon  ·  the Romantics
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