... On Friday, Skylanders Academy, a CGI animation based on a $3bn (£2.5bn) combined video game/toy franchise aimed at pre-teens, will hit Netflix. ...
It is the first release from Activision Blizzard Studios, a division of the gaming behemoth behind titles including Call of Duty, World of Warcraft and Destiny, set up last year to take games to TV and screen.
Activision animation partner TeamTO have 160 people working on the project at its headquarters in the French capital and a second site in the south of France. ...
Activision has brought in big names to oversee the project. The co-president, Stacey Sher, has produced critically acclaimed films including Erin Brockovich and Matilda, and worked alongside Francini, whose credits include Django Unchained, with Quentin Tarantino. Her co-president Nick van Dyk is a former Disney executive who played a key role in acquiring Pixar, Marvel and Star Wars for the studio. ...
The approach suggests a desire to avoid the mistakes of the past. ...
Every animation studio worth its salt goes for monster commercial success. That means hit movies, hit television shows, trend-setting video games, plus lots of toys and action figures.
Usually the creative process starts with a movie. Or sometimes a tv show. Video games often have huge popularity in their corner of the universe, but that popularity is often tough to translate into cinema success. (Anybody remember Final Fantasy, the movie? Didn't think so).
It's not enough to have a high profile game title. You must also have a compelling story to tell. More often than not, producers of video games fail to create one, and so audiences stay away in droves. Because having cute characters in exotic environments isn't enough. There must also be a tale with a beginning, middle and end that audiences want to drive to movie theaters and see.
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