Imagi Animation Studios
{{short description|Animation studio in Hong Kong}}
{{use dmy dates|date=November 2015}}
{{Infobox company
| name = Imagi Animation Studios Limited
| logo = Imagi Studios logo.svg
| fate = Bankruptcy
| successor =
| owner = Imagi International Holdings Limited
| foundation = {{Start date and age|2000}}
| defunct = {{End date and age|df=yes|2010|2|5}}
| founder =
| location = Chai Wan, Hong Kong
| key_people = * {{small|President & Co-CEO:}} Francis Kao
- {{small|Chairman:}} Francis Leung Pak To
- {{small|Executive Director & Co-CEO:}} Soh Szu Wei
| num_employees = 400 in Hong Kong{{cite news |first= Pui Yan|last= Ho|script-title=zh:意馬新動畫《阿童木》決定400港產創意壯士前路|work= MoneyMonday|publisher= Ming Pao|location= Hong Kong|page= B3|date= 16 March 2009 |language= ja}}
| parent =
| industry = CGI animation
| products =
| revenue =
| profit =
| homepage = {{URL|http://www.imagi.com.hk/}}
}}
Imagi Animation Studios, also known as Imagi Studios, was a computer animation and visual effects studio based in Hong Kong, and established in 2000 by Imagi International Holdings Limited ({{sehk|585}}), a Hong Kong–based investment company.
Background
In 2000, Imagi Animation Studios was set up and production started on its first project, the CGI-animated television series Zentrix. The company had a studio in Chai Wan, Hong Kong, as well as a creative development and production facility in Los Angeles, California and a satellite office in Tokyo.
The company's first CGI-animated theatrical film TMNT was released on March 23, 2007, by Warner Bros. in the United States and Canada, opening No. 1 at the box office, and was being distributed internationally by the Weinstein Company. Imagi's focus was to create high-quality CGI-animated feature films with superhero themes to entertain global audiences, combining Hollywood storytelling with computer animation done in Hong Kong.
=Setbacks and bankruptcy=
In January 2009, Imagi's auditing firm announced that the studio lacked funding to complete the release of Cat Tale (which was to have been released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer[http://www.animationmagazine.net/2010_movie_guide.html Cat Tale at Animation Magazine]) and Gatchaman. Art director Felix Ip reported that Gatchaman's release was not expected until later in 2009.It closed its doors as Imagi to assume another company name as to avoid any unclaimed debts to investors and staff.
{{cite web
|url=http://www.otakia.com/news/3073/Astro+Boy+maintenu,+Gatchaman+sur+la+corde+raide.
|title=Astro Boy maintenu, Gatchaman sur la corde raide
|date=9 January 2009
|publisher=Otakia
|language=fr
|access-date=29 January 2010
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150409205615/http://www.otakia.com/9722/actualites/astro-boy-maintenu-gatchaman-sur-la-corde-raide/
| archive-date=2015-04-09
| url-status=live}} In June 2009, Imagi opened Gatchaman to licensing partners and announced a 3-D theatrical release for 2011.
{{cite news
|url=http://www.homemediamagazine.com/news/imagi-seeks-licensing-deals-gatchaman-15994
|title=Imagi Seeks Licensing Deals for 'Gatchaman'
|last=Tribbey
|first=Chris
|date=3 June 2009
|publisher=Home Media Magazine
|access-date=30 January 2010}} In October 2009, Imagi released Astro Boy, based on the manga series of the same name. The film received generally mixed reviews from film critics and was a box-office bomb, losing the company $23 million in the process.
In January 2010, Imagi's Hong Kong–based parent company Imagi International Holdings Limited announced that the Gatchaman project will be "delivered in 100% Stereoscopic 3-D" and that in order to safeguard working capital, it closed its United States subsidiaries. This closure was finalized in late January with the layoff of approximately 30 staffers and the retaining of a few key personnel who will continue to work as consultants as Imagi seeks $30 million from investors to continue its animation projects.
{{cite news
|url=http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2010-01-27/imagi-animation-studio-closes-los-angeles-office
|title=Imagi Animation Studio Closes Los Angeles Office
|date=27 January 2010
|publisher=Anime News Network
|access-date=29 January 2010}}
{{cite news
|url=http://www.animationmagazine.net/article/11113
|title=Imagi Closes L.A. Studio
|last=McLean
|first=Thomas J.
|date=29 January 2010
|publisher=Animation Magazine
|access-date=30 January 2010}}{{cite web
|url=http://www.hotstocked.com/article/1861/imagi-international-holdings-ltd-otcbb-iinhy.html
|title=Imagi International Holdings Ltd (OTCBB: IINHY) Still In Talks To Raise Capital
|last=Gediminas
|first=J.
|date=26 January 2010
|publisher=HotStocked.com
|access-date=30 January 2010
|archive-date=8 July 2023
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230708182019/http://www.hotstocked.com/article/1861/imagi-international-holdings-ltd-otcbb-iinhy.html
|url-status=dead
}}
On February 5, 2010, following the financial failure of Astro Boy, Imagi Animation Studios filed for bankruptcy. {{cite web|title=意馬數百員工面臨遣散 |url=http://news.sina.com.hk/cgi-bin/nw/show.cgi/51/1/1/1420527/1.html |publisher=Sina.com |access-date=28 November 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100211142020/http://news.sina.com.hk/cgi-bin/nw/show.cgi/51/1/1/1420527/1.html |archive-date=11 February 2010 |language=zh |date=6 February 2010 |url-status=unfit }}{{cite web|title=Imagi Animation liquidator cut of more than 300 people|url=http://orientaldaily.on.cc/cnt/news/20100206/00176_035.html|publisher=Oriental Daily|access-date=28 November 2015|language=zh|date=6 February 2010}}{{cite web|title=HK studio behind 'TMNT,' 'Astro Boy' shuts down (AP)|url=https://movies.yahoo.com/news/movies.ap.org/hk-studio-behind-tmnt-astro-boy-shuts-down-ap|publisher=Yahoo|access-date=28 November 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100214170049/http://movies.yahoo.com/news/movies.ap.org/hk-studio-behind-tmnt-astro-boy-shuts-down-ap|archive-date=14 February 2010|date=9 February 2010|agency=Associated Press}}
Works
=Theatrical feature films=
| class="wikitable sortable"
|+ |
| #
! scope="col"|Title ! scope="col"|Release date(s) ! scope="col"|Distributor/Co-production with |
|---|
| 1
|scope="row"| TMNT | {{dts|2007|3|23}} || Warner Bros. |
| 2
|scope="row"| Astro Boy | {{dts|2009|10|8}} || Summit Entertainment |
=Television/Direct-to-video films=
| class="wikitable sortable"
|+ |
| #
! scope="col"|Title ! scope="col"|Release date(s) ! scope="col"|Distributor/Co-production with ! scope="col"|Note(s) |
|---|
| 1
|scope="row"| Digital Monster X-Evolution | {{dts|2005|1|3}} || Toei Animation |
| 2
|scope="row"| Highlander: The Search for Vengeance | {{dts|2007|6|5}}|| Madhouse |
=Short films=
| class="wikitable sortable"
|+ |
| #
! scope="col"|Title ! scope="col"|Release date ! scope="col"|Associated Feature Film |
|---|
| 1
|scope="row"| The RRF in New Recruit | rowspan="2" | 2010 || rowspan="2" | Astro Boy |
| 2
|scope="row"| Astro Boy vs. The Junkyard Pirates |
=TV series=
| class="wikitable sortable"
|+ |
| #
! scope="col"|Title ! scope="col"|Release date(s) ! scope="col"|Distributor/Co-production with |
|---|
| 1
|scope="row"| Zentrix | 2002 || Bandai Entertainment |
| 2
|scope="row"| Father of the Pride | 2004–2005 || DreamWorks Animation |
=Cancelled films=
References
{{reflist|2}}
External links
- [http://www.imagi.com.hk/ Official website]
{{Imagi Animation Studios}}
{{Animation industry in the People's Republic of China}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:Hong Kong animation studios
Category:Mass media companies established in 2000