Skydance Animation’s First Movies, ‘Luck’ And ‘Spellbound’, Slated For Release In 2022
Skydance Media has found plenty of success on the big screen with the modernStar Trekfranchise, theMission: Impossiblefilm series,Jack Reacher, andWorld War Z. Plus, they’ve started to create a big presence on Netflix with action movies like6 Undergroundand the recently releasedThe Old Guard. But soon they’ll be stepping into the animation arena with their first two animated feature films,LuckandSpellbound, slated to arrive in theaters in2022.
Skydance Animationannounced the official release dates for their first animated endeavors, which will be co-financed and distributed by Paramount Pictures.Luckwill arrive first onFebruary 18, 2022, andSpellboundwill follow later in the year onNovember 11, 2022. So what are these movies about?
Even thoughLuckwill be the first movie from Skydance Animation, we don’t know much about it.Peggy Holmes(Disney’sSecret of the Wings,The Pirate Fairy) will be at the helm of the movie, which follows the unluckiest girl alive as she stumbles upon the never-before-seen world of good and bad luck. Teamed up with some magical creatures, she’ll uncover a force more powerful than even luck itself.
Meanwhile, there’s a lot more information available aboutSpellbound. The film is set in a world of magic where a young girl must break the spell that has split her kingdom in two. Perhaps that’s not the most original concept, but the movie does have theShrekteam of directorVicky Jensenand producerDavid Lipmanworking together again. The script comes fromMulanwritersLauren Hynek & Elizabeth MartinandBeauty and the BeastandThe Lion KingscribeLinda Woolverton.
Also bringing some magic toSpellboundwill be Oscar-winning songwriterAlan Menken, who has penned the tunes of Disney classics such asThe Little Mermaid,Beauty and the Beast, andAladdin. Menken will be providing the score as well as original songs, so it sounds like this will be a musical animated adventure. Writing the lyrics will beGlenn Slater(Tangled), andChris Montan(Frozen,Beauty and the Beast) will serve as the executive music producer.
So it sounds like Skydance Animation has rounded up some of Disney’s most talented contributors and a couple of DreamWorks Animation veterans to kick off their new filmmaking branch with a bang. In case you don’t remember, they also have ousted Pixar mastermindJohn Lasseterco-running Skydance Animation withHolly Edwards.
There was somecontroversy around the hiringof Lasseter at Skydance since the filmmaker left Disney after some sexual harassment allegations came to light during the height of the #MeToo movement in Hollywood. In fact,Emma Thompsonwas originally slated to start inLuck, but upon Skydance’s hiring of Lasseter,she left the project. In a town hall meeting at Skydance last year, Lasseteraddressed these issuesby saying:
“I am deeply sorry for my actions, which wereunquestionablywrong.Ivery muchregret making women feel unsafe or disrespected.I willcontinue towork every day for the rest of my life to proveto you that Ihavegrown and learned.I am resolute in my commitment to build an animation studio upon a foundation ofequality,safety, trust and mutual respectfor everyone.”
Though many still aren’t happy with the fact that Lasseter was able to land such a high profile job in such a short time after these accusations, Skydance Media seems to be confident in his redemption. Though they’re not necessarily confident enough to include a quote from him in the press release. Instead, they’ve left that to Edwards, who said:
“Luck' and ‘Spellbound’ create rich worlds and compelling characters that we know will resonate with audiences everywhere. It’s incredibly exciting to see our team of legendary creatives working around the clock and across the globe to bring these pictures to life.”
Along with their first feature films, Skydance Animation is working on a slate of high-end television shows that they will be announcing sometime soon.
