Sony Pictures Animation
Encyclopedia
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 (along with some direct-to-video sequels Open Season 2
and Open Season 3
). The SPA logo seen at the beginning of their movies features original music composed by James Newton Howard
. Its most successful movie to date is The Smurfs
. However it's most critically acclaimed film is Arthur Christmas which it co-produced with Aardman animation
. After failing to find a suitable buyer, and having been impressed with the CGI sequences created for Stuart Little 2
, and seen great box office success of Shrek
and Monsters, Inc, SPI was reconsidered 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. 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. 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.
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!.
Its first full feature film was Open Season
; it was released in September 2006 and it became the studios #2 home entertainment film in 2007 and followed by two direct-to-video sequels: Open Season 2
and Open Season 3
. Its second film, Surf's Up
was released in June 2007. It was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Animated Feature
, and won two Annie Awards. A motion captured animated film Neaderthals, written and produced by Jon Favreau
, was cancelled sometime in 2008, 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 the most successful release. SPA's parent company Sony Pictures Entertainment
has partnered in 2007 with Aardman Animations
to finance, co-produce and distribute upcoming feature films. The first film made in this parthership, a computer-animated Arthur Christmas
, was released in 2011.
The studio is currently in production with Aardman Animations
on a stop-motion film The Pirates! Band of Misfits (2012). SPA is also working on its own films, Hotel Transylvania (2012), The Smurfs 2 (2013) and The Familiars (2014), and has many other projects in development, including
Popeye, a sequel to Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs and Rollercoaster Tycoon.
Upcoming films
Films in development
Sony Pictures Entertainment
Sony Pictures Entertainment, Inc. is the television and film production/distribution unit of Japanese multinational technology and media conglomerate Sony...
, founded in May 2002. It is working closely with Sony Pictures Imageworks
Sony Pictures Imageworks
Sony Pictures Imageworks, Inc. is a visual effects and character animation company headquartered in Culver City, California, USA. SPI is a division of Sony Pictures Digital Productions, which oversees the digital production and online entertainment assets of Sony Pictures Entertainment.The company...
, which takes care of the digital production. Theatrical releases are distributed by Columbia Pictures
Columbia Pictures
Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production and distribution company. Columbia Pictures now forms part of the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment, a subsidiary of the Japanese conglomerate Sony. It is one of the leading film companies...
, and direct-to-video
Direct-to-video
Direct-to-video is a term used to describe a film that has been released to the public on home video formats without being released in film theaters or broadcast on television...
releases are distributed by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment is the home video distribution arm of Sony Pictures Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation. It was established in November 1979 as Columbia Pictures Home Entertainment, releasing 20 titles: The Anderson Tapes, Bell, Book and Candle, Born Free, Breakout,...
.
Their first feature film Open Season
Open Season (film)
Open Season is a 2006 computer-animated comedy film, written by Steve Bencich and Ron J. Friedman and directed by Jill Culton, Roger Allers, and Anthony Stacchi, and production designed by Michael Humphries...
was released on September 29, 2006 (along with some direct-to-video sequels Open Season 2
Open Season 2
Open Season 2 is a direct-to-video sequel to the 2006 computer animated film Open Season, produced by Sony Pictures Animation, directed by Matthew O'Callaghan, co-directed by Todd Wilderman, and produced by Kirk Bodyfelt and Matthew O'Callaghan....
and Open Season 3
Open Season 3
Open Season 3 is an American 2010 computer-animated direct-to-video comedy film, the sequel to Open Season 2 and Open Season, and the third installment in the Open Season franchise. It is directed by Cody Cameron...
). The SPA logo seen at the beginning of their movies features original music composed by James Newton Howard
James Newton Howard
James Newton Howard is an American composer best known for his scores to motion pictures. He is one of the most popular and respected composers for cinema, and has scored over 100 films...
. Its most successful movie to date is The Smurfs
The Smurfs (film)
The Smurfs is a 2011 American 3D family film based on The Smurfs comic book series created by Peyo and the 1980s animated TV series it spawned. It was directed by Raja Gosnell and stars Neil Patrick Harris, Hank Azaria, Jayma Mays, and Sofía Vergara. It is the first CGI/live-action hybrid film to...
. However it's most critically acclaimed film is Arthur Christmas which it co-produced with Aardman animation
History
In 2001, Sony Pictures Entertainment considered selling off its visual effects facility Sony Pictures ImageworksSony Pictures Imageworks
Sony Pictures Imageworks, Inc. is a visual effects and character animation company headquartered in Culver City, California, USA. SPI is a division of Sony Pictures Digital Productions, which oversees the digital production and online entertainment assets of Sony Pictures Entertainment.The company...
. After failing to find a suitable buyer, and having been impressed with the CGI sequences created for Stuart Little 2
Stuart Little 2
Stuart Little 2 is a 2002 American live action and CGI animated film, directed by Rob Minkoff and starring Geena Davis, Hugh Laurie and Jonathan Lipnicki and the voices of Michael J. Fox, Nathan Lane, Melanie Griffith, James Woods and Steve Zahn. The film is a sequel to the 1999 film and includes...
, and seen great box office success of Shrek
Shrek
Shrek is a 2001 American computer-animated fantasy comedy film directed by Andrew Adamson and Vicky Jenson, featuring the voices of Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz, and John Lithgow. Loosely based on William Steig's 1990 fairy tale picture book Shrek!...
and Monsters, Inc, SPI was reconsidered to become an animation studio. Astro Boy
Astro Boy (film)
Astro Boy, also called in Japan, is a 2009 computer-animated film loosely based on the long-running Japanese series of the same name by Osamu Tezuka. It was produced by Imagi Animation Studios, the animation production company of TMNT. The studio announced the project in September 2006...
, which had been in development at Sony since 1997 as a live-action film, was set to be SPI's first all-CGI film. 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. Meanwhile, SPI produced two short films, The ChubbChubbs!
The ChubbChubbs!
The ChubbChubbs! is a 2002 American computer-animated comedy short film by Sony Pictures Imageworks. It was directed by Eric Armstrong, produced by Jacquie Barnbrook, and written by Jeff Wolverton....
and Early Bloomer
Early Bloomer
The Early Blooomer is a 2003 computer-animated short by Sony Pictures Imageworks. It was written by Guy T. Wiedmann and directed by Kevin Johnson...
, as a result of testing its strengths and weakness in producing all-CG animation.
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
Tam Lin
Tam Lin is the hero of a legendary ballad originating from the Scottish Borders. The story revolves around the rescue of Tam Lin by his true love from the Queen of the Fairies...
, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, Surf's Up, and a feature length version of the short film The ChubbChubbs!.
Its first full feature film was Open Season
Open Season (film)
Open Season is a 2006 computer-animated comedy film, written by Steve Bencich and Ron J. Friedman and directed by Jill Culton, Roger Allers, and Anthony Stacchi, and production designed by Michael Humphries...
; it was released in September 2006 and it became the studios #2 home entertainment film in 2007 and followed by two direct-to-video sequels: Open Season 2
Open Season 2
Open Season 2 is a direct-to-video sequel to the 2006 computer animated film Open Season, produced by Sony Pictures Animation, directed by Matthew O'Callaghan, co-directed by Todd Wilderman, and produced by Kirk Bodyfelt and Matthew O'Callaghan....
and Open Season 3
Open Season 3
Open Season 3 is an American 2010 computer-animated direct-to-video comedy film, the sequel to Open Season 2 and Open Season, and the third installment in the Open Season franchise. It is directed by Cody Cameron...
. Its second film, Surf's Up
Surf's Up (film)
Surf's Up is a 2007 American computer-animated mockumentary family comedy film directed by Ash Brannon and Chris Buck. It stars the voices of Shia LaBeouf, Jeff Bridges, Zooey Deschanel and Jon Heder among others....
was released in June 2007. It was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Animated Feature
Academy Award for Best Animated Feature
The Academy Award for Best Animated Feature is one of the annual awards given by the Los Angeles-based professional organization, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences...
, and won two Annie Awards. A motion captured animated film Neaderthals, written and produced by Jon Favreau
Jon Favreau
Jonathan Kolia "Jon" Favreau is an American actor, screenwriter, film director and comedian. As an actor, he is best known for his roles in Rudy, Swingers , Very Bad Things, and The Break-Up. His notable directorial efforts include Elf, Iron Man and its sequel, and Cowboys & Aliens...
, was cancelled sometime in 2008, after four years in development. SPA's first 3D movie, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (film)
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs is a 2009 American computer-animated family comedy film, produced by Sony Pictures Animation, distributed by Columbia Pictures, and released on September 18, 2009. The film is loosely based on the children's book of the same name by Judi and Ron Barrett.The film...
, was released in September 2009, and was nominated for four Annie Awards including Best Animated Feature. The Smurfs
The Smurfs (film)
The Smurfs is a 2011 American 3D family film based on The Smurfs comic book series created by Peyo and the 1980s animated TV series it spawned. It was directed by Raja Gosnell and stars Neil Patrick Harris, Hank Azaria, Jayma Mays, and Sofía Vergara. It is the first CGI/live-action hybrid film to...
(2011) was the studio's first CGI/live-action hybrid and the most successful release. SPA's parent company Sony Pictures Entertainment
Sony Pictures Entertainment
Sony Pictures Entertainment, Inc. is the television and film production/distribution unit of Japanese multinational technology and media conglomerate Sony...
has partnered in 2007 with Aardman Animations
Aardman Animations
Aardman Animations, Ltd., also known as Aardman Studios, or simply as Aardman, is a British animation studio based in Bristol, United Kingdom. The studio is known for films made using stop-motion clay animation techniques, particularly those featuring Plasticine characters Wallace and Gromit...
to finance, co-produce and distribute upcoming feature films. The first film made in this parthership, a computer-animated Arthur Christmas
Arthur Christmas
Arthur Christmas is a 2011 British/American 3-D computer animated fantasy comedy film produced by Aardman Animations and Sony Pictures Animation, and distributed by Columbia Pictures. It was released on November 11, 2011, in the UK, and on November 23, 2011, in the USA...
, was released in 2011.
The studio is currently in production with Aardman Animations
Aardman Animations
Aardman Animations, Ltd., also known as Aardman Studios, or simply as Aardman, is a British animation studio based in Bristol, United Kingdom. The studio is known for films made using stop-motion clay animation techniques, particularly those featuring Plasticine characters Wallace and Gromit...
on a stop-motion film The Pirates! Band of Misfits (2012). SPA is also working on its own films, Hotel Transylvania (2012), The Smurfs 2 (2013) and The Familiars (2014), and has many other projects in development, including
Popeye, a sequel to Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs and Rollercoaster Tycoon.
Feature films
Released films| # | | Title | | Release date | | Budget | | Gross | | RT Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance... | | IMDb |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Open Season Open Season (film) Open Season is a 2006 computer-animated comedy film, written by Steve Bencich and Ron J. Friedman and directed by Jill Culton, Roger Allers, and Anthony Stacchi, and production designed by Michael Humphries... |
$85,000,000 | $197,309,027 | 48% | 6.1 | |
| 2 | Surf's Up Surf's Up (film) Surf's Up is a 2007 American computer-animated mockumentary family comedy film directed by Ash Brannon and Chris Buck. It stars the voices of Shia LaBeouf, Jeff Bridges, Zooey Deschanel and Jon Heder among others.... |
$100,000,000 | $149,044,513 | 77% | 6.9 | |
| 3 | Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (film) Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs is a 2009 American computer-animated family comedy film, produced by Sony Pictures Animation, distributed by Columbia Pictures, and released on September 18, 2009. The film is loosely based on the children's book of the same name by Judi and Ron Barrett.The film... |
$100,000,000 | $243,006,126 | 86% | 7.1 | |
| 4 | The Smurfs The Smurfs (film) The Smurfs is a 2011 American 3D family film based on The Smurfs comic book series created by Peyo and the 1980s animated TV series it spawned. It was directed by Raja Gosnell and stars Neil Patrick Harris, Hank Azaria, Jayma Mays, and Sofía Vergara. It is the first CGI/live-action hybrid film to... |
$110,000,000 | $561,108,673 | 23% | 5.2 | |
| 5 | Arthur Christmas Arthur Christmas Arthur Christmas is a 2011 British/American 3-D computer animated fantasy comedy film produced by Aardman Animations and Sony Pictures Animation, and distributed by Columbia Pictures. It was released on November 11, 2011, in the UK, and on November 23, 2011, in the USA... |
$100,000,000 | $39,480,042 | 92% | 7.1 |
Upcoming films
| Title | Release date | Ref(s) |
|---|---|---|
| The Pirates! Band of Misfits | ||
| Hotel Transylvania | ||
| The Smurfs 2 | ||
| The Familiars |
Films in development
| Title | Ref(s) |
|---|---|
| Popeye | |
| Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 | |
| Rollercoaster Tycoon | |
| Futuropolis | |
| Make My Own Monster | |
| Muncle Trogg | |
| How to Survive a Garden Gnome Attack | |
| Instant Karma | |
| Chickenhare | |
| Harold and the Purple Crayon | |
| How to Live Forever | |
| Secret Histories | |
| Untitled David Sussman Project | |
| Pooch Café | |
Direct-to-video
| # | | Title | | Release date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Open Season 2 Open Season 2 Open Season 2 is a direct-to-video sequel to the 2006 computer animated film Open Season, produced by Sony Pictures Animation, directed by Matthew O'Callaghan, co-directed by Todd Wilderman, and produced by Kirk Bodyfelt and Matthew O'Callaghan.... |
(SA) (US) |
| 2 | Open Season 3 Open Season 3 Open Season 3 is an American 2010 computer-animated direct-to-video comedy film, the sequel to Open Season 2 and Open Season, and the third installment in the Open Season franchise. It is directed by Cody Cameron... |
(RU) (US) |
Short films
| # | | Title | | Release date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | The ChubbChubbs! The ChubbChubbs! The ChubbChubbs! is a 2002 American computer-animated comedy short film by Sony Pictures Imageworks. It was directed by Eric Armstrong, produced by Jacquie Barnbrook, and written by Jeff Wolverton.... |
|
| 2 | Early Bloomer Early Bloomer The Early Blooomer is a 2003 computer-animated short by Sony Pictures Imageworks. It was written by Guy T. Wiedmann and directed by Kevin Johnson... |
|
| 3 | Boog and Elliot's Midnight Bun Run Boog and Elliot's Midnight Bun Run Boog and Elliot's Midnight Bun Run is a computer animated short film from Sony Pictures Animation. As a spin-off of the animated film Open Season, Boog and Elliot's Midnight Bun Run was released on the Open Season DVD and Blu-ray on January 30, 2007.-Plot:Bob and Bobbie leave the trailer to go... |
|
| 4 | The ChubbChubbs Save Xmas The ChubbChubbs Save Xmas The ChubbChubbs Save Xmas is a 2007 computer-animated short by Sony Pictures Animation. It was produced by Kirk Bodyfelt and directed by Cody Cameron... |
|
| 5 | The Smurfs: A Christmas Carol |