Disney to close ‘Ice Age’ animation house Blue Sky Studios

Walt Disney Co. will be closing Blue Sky Studios, the computer animation company behind the Ice Age franchise, about two years after acquiring it as part of the larger purchase of 21st Century Fox assets. 

The closure was due to financial reasons, said a spokesperson from the studio. There will also be about 450 layoffs when the closure takes effect in April.

Prior to this, the studio had produced 13 feature films, including the Ice Age franchise. 

Other movies produced include titles such as Robots, Rio and Ferdinand, which was nominated for best animated feature at the Oscars in 2018. 

“Given the current economic realities, after much consideration and evaluation, we have made the difficult decision to close filmmaking operations at Blue Sky Studios,” Walt Disney Studios said in a statement on Tuesday (Feb 9).

Blue Sky, which was founded in 1987, was working on bringing She-Ra and Lumberjanes writer Noelle Stevenson’s Nimona webcomic to the screens before the announcement.