WildBrain Ltd. has agreed to amass Toronto-based animation pre-production studio Home of Cool, doubling its pre-production capability for animated collection, specials, and options whereas significantly increasing the Vancouver-based firm’s pre-production staff of roughly 80 artists.
Beneath the settlement, WildBrain will purchase full possession of Home of Cool. The latter will preserve a definite id underneath the WildBrain banner whereas collaborating carefully with the animation studio’s staff in Vancouver. Home of Cool will preserve operations at its Toronto facility with its executives and co-founders, Wes Lui and Ricardo Curtis, becoming a member of the WildBrain senior administration staff within the newly created roles of Co-Common Managers of Home of Cool. The 2 will report back to WildBrain president Josh Scherba.
Based in 2004, Home of Cool has labored on over 20 theatrical movies, which have grossed over US $6.23 billion on the field workplace, offering pre-production providers together with storyboarding; conceptual and visible growth; character, atmosphere, and prop design; and the creation of animatic check movies. Previous characteristic initiatives embrace Despicable Me for Illumination; The Offended Birds franchise for Rovio and Sony Photos Animation; and The Peanuts Film, Ferdinand, and the Ice Age and Rio franchises for twentieth Century Fox and Blue Sky Studios. Notable collection embrace What if…? for Marvel Studios; Gravity Falls for Disney; Maya and the Three, The Magician’s Elephant, Trollhunters, and Dragons: Race to the Edge for Dreamworks and Netflix; and Pretzel and the Puppies for HarperCollins Productions and Apple TV+.
The transaction will shut within the fiscal 2023 fourth quarter, topic to circumstances to closing. Closing consideration for the acquisition will include $15.5 million, with $10.25 million via the issuance of 4,479,406 WildBrain shares and $5.25 million in money.
Scherba acknowledged, “This acquisition is an funding in artistic excellence. Home of Cool is acknowledged as one of many easiest pre-production corporations within the international animation {industry}. We’re delighted to welcome Wes, Ricardo, and their staff on board at WildBrain, a mixture of expertise that may instantly broaden and deepen our collective artistic strengths. Their experience is very complementary to our present enterprise, increasing and enhancing our pre-production capabilities, not just for WildBrain’s proprietary content material but in addition for third-party initiatives. The acquisition additionally establishes a brand new entry level for IP house owners to interact with WildBrain’s 360-degree providing throughout manufacturing, distribution, and client merchandise licensing.”
“Home of Cool’s mission is easy: carry audiences collectively via the suave telling of distinctive tales,” mentioned Lui. “WildBrain shares our enthusiasm for storytelling, and from the second they first approached us, we had been ecstatic about combining forces and leveraging their 360-degree strategy and our experience in story and preproduction to develop, produce and distribute premium content material. We may even additional be capable to provide extra top-level artistic providers for all our shoppers.”
Curtis added, “As a fiercely impartial operator for the final 20 years, it might require one thing particular for Home of Cool to hitch one other studio. WildBrain is that particular. WildBrain has industry-leading experience in manufacturing, distribution, and licensing, and its attain on a number of platforms significantly expands our skill and scope to attach with audiences. Combined with their deep catalogue of properties—many I grew up with—hitching Home of Cool’s wagon to WildBrain permits us to collaborate in beforehand unavailable methods on the premium content material we’re recognized for.”
Supply: WildBrain
Whitney is a contract author specializing in VFX-driven fantasy movie & TV in addition to preschool animation.
