Darin Grant.
Darin Grant been appointed Animal Logic’s chief technology officer, rounding out the company’s executive team.
Prior to joining Animal Logic, Grant worked in various roles in the VFX and technology sectors including as head of production technology as DreamWorks Animation, as well as the global CTO at Digital Domain and Method Studios.
Grant’s appointment follows that of Sharon Taylor – former head of the company’s Vancouver studio – as chief operating officer, and Robert Norton as chief business officer. All will work with Animal Logic co-founder and CEO Zareh Nalbandian to lead the company across its Sydney, Los Angeles and Vancouver studios.
The formation of the executive team follows a busy period in Animal Logic’s 26 year history, including the expansion of Animal Logic Entertainment’s (ALE) development slate, the establishment of the Vancouver studio, and the company’s recent partnership with Imagine Entertainment and Warner Bros., with whom it will co-develop, produce and co-finance a slate of animated and hybrid family films.
ALE’s Peter Rabbit, which it co-produced with Olive Bridge Entertainment, has also grossed over $US350 million worldwide for Sony and a sequel has been dated for February 2020 in the US.
“Given all the opportunities, growth and the exciting successes we’ve had, to be able to sustain that and to continue to grow, I needed a really strong leadership team that was partly grown from within and partly was appointed from outside because of specialist skills – and Darin is the last piece of that puzzle,” Nalbandian tells IF.
Animal Logic is currently completing VFX on LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part and Captain Marvel, and ALE has a number of projects in development, including Naruto for Lionsgate, to be directed by Michael Gracey; AstroBoy, in development at New Line; Danger Mouse with eOne; and Fortunately, The Milk, an adaptation of a Neil Gaiman novel, with Infinitum Nihil for Fox.
Just this week, Screen Australia also announced development funding for Monster Nanny, which will be directed by Kim Mordaunt and produced by Ridley Scott and Sylvia Wilczynski with ALE as the EPs.