Disney to shutter ‘Ice Age’ animation house blue sky

The Walt Disney Company will close Blue Sky Studios, the animation company inherited in its 2019 acquisition of 20th Century Fox, Variety reports.

Founded in 1987, Blue Sky helped grow top-grossing family franchises including “Ice Age,” the Dr. Seuss adaptation “Horton Hears a Who,” and most recently the Will Smith and Tom Holland project “Spies in Disguise.”

About 450 employees staffing the company will face termination, thought some are said to be eyeing roles at other Disney portfolio holdings, which includes the eponymous Walt Disney Animation Studios and Pixar. Closure was a forgone conclusion for many in the industry upon the historic Disney-Fox transaction.

“Given the current economic realities, after much consideration and evaluation, we have made the difficult decision to close filmmaking operations at Blue Sky Studios,” a Disney spokesperson said.