The streamer officially unveils its new British Columbia-based animation studio, a purpose-built facility supporting feature production with eventual expansion to integrate in-house VFX studio Eyeline’s pipeline.
Netflix Animation Studios has officially opened its new production facility in Vancouver, British Columbia, marked by a ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by government officials and company executives, signaling the latest expansion of the streamer’s global animation production infrastructure.
The studio was unveiled with remarks from B.C. Minister of Finance Brenda Bailey and included participation from Netflix Chairman of Film Dan Lin; Head of Feature Animation and Family Film Hannah Minghella; Minister of Tourism Anne Kang; and Vancouver Deputy Mayor Sarah Kirby-Yung.
"This is an exciting new chapter for our studio," said Minghella. "Our new Vancouver hub is an investment in the long-term growth of Netflix Animation Studios globally and reflects our ongoing commitment to make original animated movies for fans around the world."
The 110,600-square-foot facility is designed as a purpose-built hub for animated feature film production and development, integrating state-of-the-art technology with collaborative workspaces to support both creative and production teams. Netflix plans to further expand the site by incorporating its in-house VFX division, Eyeline, creating a combined animation and visual effects pipeline.
More than 450 employees are currently based at the Vancouver studio. Construction contributed more than $50 million CAD to British Columbia’s GDP, with ongoing operations expected to generate approximately $100 million CAD annually.
The studio’s next major production is the animated feature Steps, a reimagining of Cinderella’s sisters, featuring voice performances by Ali Wong, Stephanie Tsu, and Amanda Seyfried.
"We’re excited to be working on the upcoming film, Steps, from our new studio," said Amir Nasrabadi, Chief Operating Officer of Netflix Animation Studios. "Vancouver is home to some of the world’s most incredible talent, and we’re lucky to have many of them in our studio. We’re proud of what we’ve created here and even more excited about the work to come."
The Vancouver animation team has previously contributed to several high-performing Netflix titles, including Leo, which spent 10 weeks on the Global Top 10 English Film List and reached number one in 62 countries, and Thelma the Unicorn, which remained on the list for three weeks and reached the Top 10 in 72 countries.
British Columbia continues to serve as a major production hub for Netflix, with projects such as Avatar: The Last Airbender generating more than $150 million in economic impact during its first season, and Virgin River contributing $44.4 million during its fifth season. Additional productions filmed in the region include The Wrong Paris, TIME OUT, Remarkably Bright Creatures, and Crew Girl.
Source: Netflix
Dan Sarto is Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of Animation World Network.
