Warner Bros. Pictures, Locksmith Animation Ink Multi-film Deal

Warner Bros. Pictures inked a multi-film deal with UK-based Locksmith Animation.

Under the new agreement, the two companies will co-develop and produce feature-length animated family films to be distributed under the Warner Animation Group/Warner Bros. Pictures umbrella.

Locksmith’s first feature, Ron’s Gone Wrong, is currently in production in London and will be released by Walt Disney Studios next year. The project landed at Disney through its Fox acquisition and was developed as part of an earlier deal between Locksmith and 20th Century Fox.

Locksmith Animation is led by BAFTA Award-winning director, writer, and producer Sarah Smith (Arthur Christmas) and producer Julie Lockhart (the Academy Award-nominated Shaun the Sheep Movie), who serve as co-CEOs. The duo co-founded the company in 2014 alongside Elisabeth Murdoch, who serves as chairman.

“We’re absolutely delighted to become part of the Warner Bros. family with this partnership,” Smith and Lockhart say. “The studio has not only a revered legacy in animation but an outstanding record in bringing contemporary family classics to global audiences. We look forward to working with its visionary leadership team to bring our unique voice and brand to worldwide audiences.”

Smith and Lockhart will collaborate with Allison Abbate, executive vice president of Warner Animation Group, who will “add a fresh voice to complement the studio’s current animation activities.”

“In recent years, animation has become a tremendously important part of our slate, and this deal with Locksmith dovetails perfectly with our forward-going plans,” says Toby Emmerich, chairman of Warner Bros. Pictures Group, and Courtenay Valenti, president of production and development at Warner Bros. Pictures. “We love Sarah and Julie’s sensibilities and work, and look forward to working with them to create titles that will enchant today’s audiences and become classics for future generations of animation lovers.”

The current animated lineup from Warner Animation Group/Warner Bros. Pictures includes next year’s Scooby-Doo reboot, Scoob!, along with Tom & Jerry, and Space Jam 2 slated for 2021.

About the author

James Zahn

James Zahn, AKA The Rock Father, is Editor-in-Chief of The Toy Book and Co-President of The International Toy Magazines Association (ITMA). He is also a Senior Editor at The Toy Insider and The Pop Insider, and Editor of The Toy Report, The Toy Book‘s weekly industry newsletter. As a pop culture and toy industry expert, Zahn has appeared as a panelist and guest at events including Comic-Con International: San Diego (SDCC), New York Comic Con, Wizard World Chicago, and the ASTRA Marketplace & Academy. Zahn has more than 30 years of experience in the entertainment, retail, and publishing industries, and is frequently called upon to offer expert commentary for publications such as Forbes, Marketwatch, the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, USA Today, Reuters, the Washington Post, and more. James has appeared on History Channel’s Modern Marvels, was interviewed by Larry King and Anderson Cooper, and has been seen on Yahoo! Finance, CNN, CNBC, FOX Business, NBC, ABC, CBS, WGN, The CW, and more. Zahn joined the Adventure Media & Events family in 2016, initially serving as a member of the Parent Advisory Board after penning articles for the Netflix Stream Team, Fandango Family, PBS KIDS, Sprout Parents (now Universal Kids), PopSugar, and Chicago Parent. He eventually joined the company full time as a Senior Editor and moved up the ranks to Deputy Editor and Editor-in-Chief.