Imagi Animation Studios

Imagi Animation Studios Limited

Company type	Public SEHK
Industry	CGI animation
Founded	2000; 25 years ago (2000)
Defunct	5 February 2010; 14 years ago (2010-02-05)
Fate	Bankruptcy
Headquarters	Chai Wan, Hong Kong
Key people	President & Co-CEO: Francis Kao Chairman: Francis Leung Pak To Executive Director & Co-CEO: Soh Szu Wei
Owner	Imagi International Holdings Limited
Number of employees	400 in Hong Kong[1]
Website	www.imagi.com.hk

Imagi Animation Studios, also known as Imagi Studios, was an 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[2]) and Gatchaman and art director Felix Ip reported that Gatchaman's release was not expected until later in 2009.[3] In June 2009, Imagi opened Gatchaman to licensing partners and announced a 3-D theatrical release for 2011.[4] In October 2009, Imagi released Astro Boy, based on the manga series of the same name. despite of its mixed reception from critics, the film 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.[5][6][7]

On February 5, 2010, following the financial failure of Astro Boy, Imagi Animation Studios filed for bankruptcy. [8][9][10]

Works

Theatrical feature films

#	Title	Release date(s)	Distributor/Co-production with
1	TMNT	March 23, 2007	Warner Bros. The Weinstein Company
2	Astro Boy	October 8, 2009	Summit Entertainment

Television/Direct-to-video films

#	Title	Release date(s)	Distributor/Co-production with	Note(s)
1	Digital Monster X-Evolution	January 3, 2005	Toei Animation Toei Company	Television film
2	Highlander: The Search for Vengeance	June 5, 2007	Madhouse Manga Entertainment	OVA

Short films

#	Title	Release date	Associated Feature Film
1	The RRF in New Recruit	2010	Astro Boy
2	Astro Boy vs. The Junkyard Pirates

TV series

#	Title	Release date(s)	Distributor/Co-production with
1	Zentrix	2002–2003	Bandai Entertainment
2	Father of the Pride	2004–2005	DreamWorks Animation NBCUniversal Syndication Studios

Cancelled films

#	Title	Planned release date
1	Gatchaman[11]	2011
2	T28[12]	2012
3	The Legend of Zelda[13]	N/A
4	Cat Tale	2013
5	Tusker [14]	N/A
6	Trigun [15]	N/A
7	Fluorescent Black [16]	N/A
8	Project: Monster [17]	N/A

References

1. Ho, Pui Yan (16 March 2009). 意馬新動畫《阿童木》決定400港產創意壯士前路. MoneyMonday (in Japanese). Hong Kong: Ming Pao. p. B3.
2. Cat Tale at Animation Magazine
3. It closed its doors as Imagi to assume another company name as to avoid any unclaimed debts to investors and staff. "Astro Boy maintenu, Gatchaman sur la corde raide" (in French). Otakia. 9 January 2009. Archived from the original on 9 April 2015. Retrieved 29 January 2010.
4. Tribbey, Chris (3 June 2009). "Imagi Seeks Licensing Deals for 'Gatchaman'". Home Media Magazine. Retrieved 30 January 2010.
5. "Imagi Animation Studio Closes Los Angeles Office". Anime News Network. 27 January 2010. Retrieved 29 January 2010.
6. McLean, Thomas J. (29 January 2010). "Imagi Closes L.A. Studio". Animation Magazine. Retrieved 30 January 2010.
7. Gediminas, J. (26 January 2010). "Imagi International Holdings Ltd (OTCBB: IINHY) Still In Talks To Raise Capital". HotStocked.com. Archived from the original on 8 July 2023. Retrieved 30 January 2010.
8. "意馬數百員工面臨遣散" (in Chinese). Sina.com. 6 February 2010. Archived from the original on 11 February 2010. Retrieved 28 November 2015.
9. "Imagi Animation liquidator cut of more than 300 people" (in Chinese). Oriental Daily. 6 February 2010. Retrieved 28 November 2015.
10. "HK studio behind 'TMNT,' 'Astro Boy' shuts down (AP)". Yahoo. Associated Press. 9 February 2010. Archived from the original on 14 February 2010. Retrieved 28 November 2015.
11. "Gunpla Builders, CG Gatchaman Promo Videos Streamed". Anime News Network. 15 July 2010. Retrieved 17 July 2019.
12. "Imagi Launches Testujin 28 site with CG Test Trailer". Anime News Network. 9 January 2009. Retrieved 9 January 2009.
13. Vejvoda, Jim (4 August 2013). "Footage From the Unproduced Legend of Zelda CG-Animated Movie". IGN. Retrieved 10 August 2013.
14. "Imagi revives 'Tusker' tale". 10 August 2008. Retrieved 3 March 2018.
15. "Imagi studios Trigun Vash animation test (Likely movie pitch)". 6 June 2024. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
16. "Imagi Goes Black". 9 November 2007. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
17. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GMMwxZX612M. Retrieved 6 August 2024. {{cite AV media}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)

External links

• Official website