Nimona reached the screen by an unusual route: after its original studio, Blue Sky, closed while the film was in development, a small core creative team kept pitching the project. Annapurna revived it, DNEG Animation became its production partner, and Netflix released the finished film. In 2024, the Academy nominated it for Best Animated Feature Film.
Blue Sky’s closure left the film unfinished
Nimona began development at Blue Sky Studios, but the project had not reached release when the studio closed. ND Stevenson, whose graphic novel the film adapts, told the Los Angeles Times that “When Blue Sky was shut down, everything was really starting to come together.” The closure interrupted a project that its creative team believed was gaining momentum.
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Reports at the time said Disney had concerns about the film’s LGBTQ+ representation. The Los Angeles Times noted those reports, but also reported that the directors were diplomatic when asked about their accuracy. The available reporting does not establish that queer themes caused Blue Sky’s closure or the film’s cancellation.
A small core team kept the project moving
According to the Los Angeles Times, the official team contracted from around 300 artists and production staff to a core creative team of 10. That smaller group continued to champion the film, shopping it with story reels, character models, and a clear understanding of Nimona’s voice. The account describes a team that helped keep the project viable—not a 10-person crew that completed the final animation.
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Director Nick Bruno summed up the challenge to the newspaper: “Our biggest villain has always been expectation on this film.” Troy Quane, the film’s co-director, said, “I feel like we did everything we could on this.”
Annapurna revived it; DNEG helped bring it to completion
Annapurna took on the project, and DNEG Animation joined as the studio partner to execute the revived film. Quane described the result as combining “the spirit of Blue Sky and the talent of DNEG,” in the Los Angeles Times report. That distinction matters: the project’s roots remained at Blue Sky, but a different production partner helped carry it across the finish line.
Rank #2
Netflix’s April 25, 2023 announcement lists Annapurna Animation as the production company and credits Karen Ryan, Julie Zackary, and Roy Lee as producers. It names Robert L. Baird and Lloyd Taylor as screenwriters. Netflix was the film’s release platform, not its original development studio.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What the film adapted—and what the Academy recognized
Directed by Nick Bruno and Troy Quane, Nimona adapts ND Stevenson’s graphic novel. The film stars Chloë Grace Moretz, Riz Ahmed, and Eugene Lee Yang, among others. The adaptation changes elements of the source story; the Los Angeles Times reports that the film gives the relationship between Ballister and Ambrosius more prominence. Readers interested in those choices can compare the film with Stevenson’s original graphic novel.
Rank #3
The film received nine Annie Award nominations and won two, according to Netflix Animation’s studio history. It later earned a 2024 Academy Award nomination for Best Animated Feature Film, as identified in Netflix’s 2024 awards coverage. The nomination is a recognition of the completed film; it does not, by itself, establish why the film’s production survived or why Academy voters selected it.
Netflix brought the film to its platform after Annapurna revived the project. The path from Blue Sky development to release therefore involved several distinct roles: the original studio, the creative team that kept pitching the project, Annapurna’s backing, DNEG Animation’s production work, and Netflix’s release.
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