Inaugural development slate includes the fantasy/sci-fi adventure ‘Nature’s End’ and ‘R.E.D.,’ a science fiction anthology series inspired by the pulp novels of the 1950s.
Duncan Studio collaborated with director Rob Marshall to create the 2D animated sequences in Disney’s hybrid live-action feature ‘Mary Poppins Returns,’ garnering five Annie Award nominations, including wins for Best Animated Special Production and Character Animation in a Live Action Production.
Duncan Studio, the studio responsible for the 2D-animated sequences in Disney’s Annie Award-winning feature Mary Poppins Returns is moving into production of original content with the launch of Duncan Originals, Deadline reports.
Led by Canadian-born Ken Duncan, who worked as an animator at Disney for many years before starting the Pasadena, CA-based studio in 2007, the new in-house development and production division is developing a slate of animated features, television series and short-form content targeting the global animation audience.
Projects in development include the fantasy/sci-fi adventure Nature’s End, which will combine live-action, animation and gaming, and which stars a female hero who transforms her world without using violence or imitating her male counterparts.
R.E.D., a six-part science fiction anthology series inspired by the pulp novels of the 1950s is also in development. Revolving around a machine pondering its value as a “living” being, the project is written as a humorous detective story.
“Our development division has created a slate of unique, inclusive, gender balanced and visually compelling stories, that will engage and resonate with audiences globally,” Duncan reportedly stated to Deadline. “Our mission is to work with culturally diverse established and emerging new talent to expand the creative boundaries of the animation art form.”
With a history of collaborating with top talent including Rob Marshall, Tom Hanks, Katherine Bigelow and Brad Bird, as well as leading production companies such as WB, Universal, Illumination and Disney, Duncan Studio is one of the few animation studios specializing in 2D hand-drawn animation as well as CG. The studio most recently collaborated with director Rob Marshall to create the 2D animated sequences in Disney’s hybrid live-action feature Mary Poppins Returns, garnering five Annie Award nominations, including wins for Best Animated Special Production and Character Animation in a Live Action Production.
Formerly Editor-in-Chief of Animation World Network, Jennifer Wolfe has worked in the Media & Entertainment industry as a writer and PR professional since 2003.
