Universal Animation


 * This article is about the main feature animation division of Universal Studios. For the animation studio that maintains both the Universal City and Glendale studios, see Universal Animation Studios.

Universal Animation (formerly Universal Feature Animation and Universal Animation Studios) is an American animation studio owned by Universal Pictures, a division of Comcast through its wholly owned subsidiary NBCUniversal. Founded in May 1993 by Michael Wildshill and alumni of Aleka Productions, it is based at the Universal Studios Lot in Universal City, California. The studio has produced a total of 24 feature films within the Universal Animated Features canon, from Ama and the Mysterious Crystal (1997) to Paradoria 2: Enchanted Realm (2019), and is best known for the franchises Computeropolis, Paradoria, and Luna & Zak.

As of 2018, Universal Animation's feature films have grossed a combined total of $153.3 billion worldwide, with an average gross of $726.9 million per film. Three of its films — Computeropolis: The Deep Web (2018), Paradoria (2015), and Imagimals (2016) — are among the highest-grossing films of all time, and ten of its films are among the highest-grossing animated films of all time, with Computeropolis: The Deep Web being the fifth all-time highest. The studio has received one Academy Award, 41 Emmys, numerous Annie Awards, and multiple Golden Globe and BAFTA nominations.

History
In early 1993, Gingo Animation co-founder Michael Wildshill met with MCA president Sid Sheinberg to discuss the creation of a feature animation division, an offer which Wildshill immediately accepted. That same year, Universal Pictures and several other Hollywood studios moved into feature animation following the success of Disney animated features. Universal Feature Animation was officially established in May 1993 to produce theatrical animated films to rival Disney. John Cohen was brought in to head the new division, which was set up in a building on the Universal Studios lot. To build the talent base, Wildshill brought over artists from his Gingo feature studio Aleka Productions, while Cohen recruited some of the staff from Walt Disney Feature Animation and Amblimation.

Some of Aleka's artists in North Hollywood came to Universal Feature Animation in 1994, when their last feature was in production, with the rest doing so in the following year when Aleka merged into UFA in early 1996. In October 1994, Universal Feature Animation announced a full slate of animated projects in development: Ama and the Mysterious Crystal (then titled Legend of the Magic Crystal), an adaptation of T. H. White's Mistress Masham's Repose, Galaxion, and Oceanic (which was later shelved). Shortly after Gingo's Aleka feature animation studio merged into Universal in 1996, Universal signed a co-production deal with Gingo to co-produce and distribute Paint World (1999). During the time, Universal owned 40% of Gingo. This partnership had Universal participating in the production of Gingo films in North Hollywood, and also had Gingo participating in some of the animated films made in Universal City.

After the box office failure of Magina in 2003, Universal laid off most of the employees at the Feature Animation studio, downsizing it to one unit and beginning plans to move into fully computer-animated features. A handful of employees were offered positions for computer animation. Subsequently, on April 17, 2003, Universal Feature Animation officially announced they were becoming a fully CGI studio, now with a staff of 460 people, and began selling off all of its traditional animation equipment. In early 2005, Gingo Animation was spun off into a separate independent company, promoting Wildshill to remain on board as a consultant while Universal would handle the rights to the pre-2005 Gingo library.

In January 2008, Universal renamed its Feature Animation unit as Universal Animation Studios, and merged its direct-to-video and television animation unit with the feature animation. Animators at Universal City worked on projects based at the Universal City studio, but also assisted in projects based in the Glendale UAS studio. Two months later, Universal announced a deal with up-and-coming animation studio Illumination Entertainment, positioning it as NBCUniversal's family entertainment arm within its feature animation group consisting of Universal Animation. This meant that Universal would be able to release as many as three animated films in a year divided between the two studios. Many felt that this decision was made to help Universal to establish itself as a competitor to Disney's feature animation group, which consists of Pixar Animation Studios and Walt Disney Animation Studios.

Wildshill later explained that, after the merger, to maintain the studios' separate identities and cultures (notwithstanding the fact of common ownership and common senior management), he and the Universal Animation executives "drew a hard line" that each studio was solely responsible for its own projects and would not be allowed to borrow personnel from or lend tasks out to the other; the rule ensured that each studio would maintain "local ownership" of projects and could "be proud of its own work". Thus, for example, when Universal Animation had issues with Gabriel Garza (2011) and Illumination with The Lorax (2012), "nobody bailed them out", and each studio was required "to solve the problem on [their] own", even when they knew there were personnel at the other studio who, theoretically, could have helped.

In September 2012, Universal named former Walt Disney Feature Animation president Peter Schneider the new president of Universal's Feature Animation division; however, in January 2013, Schneider resigned for personal reasons. In September 2013, Universal named David Stainton, another former Disney Animation president, as the president of the feature animation studio.

In October 2015, Universal named former Cartoon Network president Stuart Snyder as the executive vice president of the Universal Feature Animation Group.

On April 28, 2016, NBCUniversal announced its intent to acquire competing studio DreamWorks Animation for $3.8 billion, making DreamWorks a sister studio to Universal Animation and Illumination Entertainment; the acquisition was later completed on August 22, 2016.

Projects
The first of Universal's animated features was Ama and the Mysterious Crystal (1997), which starred the voices of Christina Ricci, Hank Azaria, Patrick Stewart, and Jennifer Aniston and marked the beginning of the Universal Animated Features canon. Directed by Michael Wildshill, it received positive reviews from critics and was a success at the box office, overpowering Hercules, Disney's summer release for that year, and establishing Universal as one of Disney's first major competitors in feature animation. Animation production for Ama was primarily done at the new Universal feature animation studio, although much of the work was outsourced to animation studios around the world.

In 1999, the studio's second film Galaxion received mixed reviews and underperformed at the box office. In the same year, Gingo's Paint World, UFA's third animated feature, was released to critical and financial success; it grossed over $452 million worldwide, making it the highest-grossing non-Disney animated film of the year, as well as the second highest-grossing animated film of the year behind Pixar's Toy Story 2.

Universal Animation's fourth film Mistress Masham's Repose (2001) received a positive reception from critics and audiences, and was a modest success at the box office. The studio's next film Me & Mobo (2002) received a positive reception from critics and audiences. However, the studio decided to release the film in September with a rushed marketing push. UFA's next feature Magina, released in 2003, received mixed reviews from critics and was a box office failure, which led to a growing perception that hand-drawn animation was becoming outdated amidst the increasing popularity of computer animation. UFA decided the same year to exit hand-drawn animation business after the next two hand-drawn films.

In 2004, Universal released its first fully in-house computer-animated feature film Computeropolis to critical and commercial success. It grossed $687 million worldwide, becoming the third highest-grossing film of 2004, and established Universal as the fourth studio after Pixar, DreamWorks Animation, and Blue Sky Studios to have launched a successful CGI franchise.

In April 2005, Universal announced that it would be creating Computeropolis: A Technical Ride, a 3D ride at Universal Parks & Resorts locations in Orlando, Hollywood, Sentosa, and Osaka. The ride officially opened on June 11, 2006 in Orlando, in Hollywood on March 15, 2008, in Sentosa on March 18, 2010, and in Osaka on March 4, 2011. In July 2005, the studio released its second computer-animated film M.I.S.S.I.O.N., which had been in active development since 1997. It received generally positive reviews and grossed over $293 million worldwide at the box office.

In 2006, UFA's ninth film and third computer-animated film BJ and Wally, a co-production with Gingo Animation, was released to mixed reviews from critics. However, it was a box office success, earning $486 million worldwide. The studio's next feature and first sequel Computeropolis 2 opened in 2007. It earned over $953 million worldwide, becoming the highest-grossing animated film of the year and breaking a record as the most profitable film from Universal Animation. In 2008, Universal Animation released its eleventh feature Swapped, which opened to a much bigger than expected $43 million opening, and ended up with $376 million worldwide.

The studio's twelfth film Woo La La was released in 2009, and became a significant critical and commercial success, earning $532 million worldwide. The following year, Computeropolis 3, the third installment in the Computeropolis franchise, was released to box office success, earning over $783 million worldwide. However, unlike the first two films in the series, it was not well-received critically.

After Computeropolis 3, Gabriel Garza, a CGI film that marked a return to the Gabriel Garza franchise, followed in 2011 to positive reviews and commercial success. The film earned $645 million worldwide, making it the seventh highest-grossing film of 2011.

The studio's next feature Plucky Chicken was released in 2012, and grossed $426 million worldwide, but received mixed reviews. In March 2013, the studio released Quest to generally positive reviews and was a box office success, with the film earning over $524 million worldwide. Universal Animation's seventeenth film Gabriel Garza 2 opened in 2014, earning over $954 million worldwide and becoming the highest-grossing animated film of 2014.

Universal Animation's eighteenth film Paradoria was released in March 2015 to widespread acclaim and blockbuster success. It was the first Universal animated film to earn over $1 billion in worldwide box office revenue, and is currently the studio's highest-grossing film and the third highest-grossing animated film of all time. In December 2015, the studio's next film Luna & Zak was released, and was another commercial and critical success for the studio, grossing over $600 million worldwide.

Imagimals, a Geo G.-directed animated film set in the world of imaginary creatures, was released in September 2016. It was the second Universal Animation film to cross the $1 billion mark in worldwide box office revenue. In March 2017, Universal Animation released Gabriel Garza 3, the third installment in the Gabriel Garza reboot film series, and the musical Lix in December. Computeropolis: The Deep Web, the fourth installment in the Computeropolis franchise, was released in May 2018, and became the third film to earn $1 billion for the studio. The studio's most recent film Paradoria 2: Enchanted Realm, the sequel to Paradoria, was released in March 2019, and grossed over $923 million worldwide.

Upcoming projects
Universal Animation is currently working on Luna & Zak: Lvl. 2 (2020), Computeropolis 5, Mechagirl (both 2021), and Paradoria 3 (2022), with three more films whose titles have not been announced set for release on March 3, 2023, March 1, and December 25, 2024. Other Universal Animation films in development include Bauhaus Gone Bonkers!, an original film about how a group of kids in Germany take back their arts industry from the monstrous Bauhaus museum, a part of a major conspiracy regarding paintings and creativity, and an untitled film about a leopard gecko written and directed by John France.

Feature films

 * Further information: List of Universal Animation films

Released films

 * Not produced, but released by Universal Animation under its label.

Trivia

 * Universal Animation is often described by fans as the Universal counterpart of Walt Disney Animation Studios while Illumination is described as the Universal counterpart of Pixar.
 * Unique for an animation studio, almost every one of Universal Animation's feature films so far features a younger (human) protagonist (mostly a young boy or a teenage boy).
 * Starting with Computeropolis: The Deep Web in 2018, the word "studios" was removed from the logo, making the company known simply as Universal Animation.