The London-based studio will now focus all resources on pre- and post-production, with animation work to be outsourced to third parties.
Just 18 months after acquiring One Animation (Oddbods, Insectibles) in 2022, Moonbug Entertainment has shuttered the Singaporean animation studio, according to Kidscreen. The closure will allow Moonbug to focus all resources on pre- and post-production, with animation work to be outsourced to third parties. The London-based studio will still hold an office in the Asia Pacific region under the guidance of Yasmin Zahid, to maintain a presence and build franchises.
An undisclosed portion of the animation team was previously laid off in anticipation of the closure. Moonbug declined to disclose how many workers were affected, or if One Animation CEO Sashim Parmanand still remains with the company.
All One Animation properties and brands, including Oddbods and Minibods, remain with Moonbug and will be expanded into bigger franchises.
“When Moonbug acquired One Animation in 2022, it not only acquired an incredible premium kids’ franchise in Oddbods, but also an incredible Singapore-based leadership team and production studio,” said a spokesperson. “At that time, the production capabilities not only supported Oddbods, but also provided third-party animation services for other media companies. As was always the plan, in order to focus resources entirely on Moonbug’s own franchises, we have scaled back the studio operations and wound down third-party services. Consistent with the majority of Moonbug’s production pipeline, most animation is now being outsourced. We are immensely grateful for the valuable contributions from the team, and the APAC region will remain a key market and priority for us in 2024.”
The closure spells another blow to the country's creative arts business community, which also lost Lucasfilm’s Industrial Light & Magic regional studio in August 2023.
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