Locksmith Animation
 Logo used since 2023 | |
| Formerly | Wishmaker Animation Ltd. (April 23, 2013–January 31, 2014)[1] |
|---|---|
| Company type | Subsidiary |
| Industry | Computer animation Film production |
| Founded | 2014 |
| Founder | Sarah Smith Julie Lockhart Elisabeth Murdoch (financial backing)[2] |
| Headquarters | 113 Regent's Park Road, London , England |
Number of locations | 9255 Sunset Boulevard, West Hollywood, California |
Key people | Julie Lockhart (president of prod.) Natalie Fischer (CEO) Mary Coleman (CCO) Britt Gardiner (COO) Daphne Mather (Head of Culture) Doug Ikeler (CTO/SVP Digital Prod.) Shelley Page (Head of Talent) |
| Products | Feature films |
Number of employees | 100 (2025) |
| Parent | Sister |
| Divisions |
|
| Website | www |
Locksmith Animation Limited[3] is a British animation studio and film production company owned by Sister and headquartered in London with an office in Los Angeles. Locksmith's first animated feature film Ron's Gone Wrong was theatrically released by 20th Century Studios in October 2021. Locksmith's second animated feature film That Christmas (based on the children's Christmas book trilogy That Christmas and Other Stories by Richard Curtis and Rebecca Cobb) was released on Netflix on 4 December 2024.
The studio's next films are, Bad Fairies, a subversive original musical-comedy film set in contemporary London, to be released by Warner Bros. Pictures[4] on 21 May 2027, The Lunar Chronicles, based on Marissa Meyer's book series of the same name, to be released also by Warner Bros. Pictures on November 3, 2028,[5] and Wed Wabbit, based on Lissa Evans' children's book of the same name, and their first independent feature, to be funded and release by themselves.
History
[edit]Locksmith Animation was founded in 2014 by media executive businesswoman Elisabeth Murdoch and two Aardman Animations collaborators Sarah Smith and Julie Lockhart. Locksmith was named after Lockhart and Smith's surnames.[6] In April 2014, visual effects studio Double Negative (now known as DNEG) formed a deal with Locksmith to provide the computer animation for Locksmith's films, this led DNEG to found their own animation department, DNEG Feature Animation (now known as DNEG Animation).[7]
In May 2016, Locksmith formed a production deal with Paramount Pictures, with Paramount acting as the distributor for Locksmith's films to be produced under the Paramount Animation label.[6] The following year, however, Paramount abandoned its deal with Locksmith when Paramount chairman and CEO Brad Grey was replaced by Jim Gianopulos.[8]
In September 2017, Locksmith formed a multi-year production deal with 20th Century Fox, which would distribute Locksmith's films; 20th Century Fox Animation was brought in to oversee the deal, as Locksmith was aiming to release a film every 12–18 months. The deal was to bolster Blue Sky's output and replace the loss of distributing DreamWorks Animation films, which are now owned and distributed by Universal Pictures, following its takeover by NBCUniversal in 2016.[8][9] The first film to be produced by Locksmith Animation was Ron's Gone Wrong which was released on 22 October 2021 by 20th Century Studios.[8][10] In February 2018, it was announced that Locksmith was developing Wed Wabbit, a live-action/animated hybrid film based on Lissa Evans' children's book, originally served as the first live-action/animated hybrid film from Locksmith.[11] In October 2019, after Disney took over 20th Century Animation, Locksmith formed a new multi-year production deal with Warner Bros. Pictures, which will distribute three Locksmith films under the Warner Animation Group label after the release of Ron's Gone Wrong, which was now the only theatrical Locksmith film to be distributed by 20th Century Studios.[2]
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Sister was announced as Locksmith Animation's parent company following the release of Ron's Gone Wrong in October 2021.
In June 2021, it was announced that Natalie Fischer (the former COO of Illumination Entertainment, DreamWorks Animation and Pixar) would step in as Locksmith's new CEO. Locksmith's first founder Sarah Smith exited the company to pursue her own creative endeavours. It was also announced that Locksmith Animation was currently in production on its second animated feature film That Christmas[12] (based on the children's Christmas book trilogy That Christmas and Other Stories by Richard Curtis and Rebecca Cobb) and was working on a subversive original animated musical fantasy comedy film.[13] That Christmas was unveiled in June 2022 as part of Netflix's slate of animated films.[14]
In January 2022, Locksmith had optioned to adapt Marissa Meyer's book series The Lunar Chronicles.[15]
In June 2023, as part of the rebranding of Warner Animation Group (now called Warner Bros. Pictures Animation), it was announced that the studio had signed a first-look deal with Locksmith to develop and produce the two animated feature films Bad Fairies and The Lunar Chronicles for Warner Bros. Pictures.[16]
Films
[edit]Feature films
[edit]Released
[edit]| Year | Title | Director(s) | Screenwriter(s) | Producer(s) | Composer(s) | Distributor | Feature animation | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Ron's Gone Wrong | Sarah Smith Jean-Philippe Vine Co-director: Octavio E. Rodriguez |
Peter Baynham Sarah Smith |
Julie Lockhart Lara Breay |
Henry Jackman | 20th Century Studios | DNEG Animation | Locksmith Animation's first feature film |
| 2024 | That Christmas | Simon Otto | Richard Curtis Peter Souter |
Nicole P. Hearon Adam Tandy |
John Powell | Netflix | Based on That Christmas and Other Stories by Richard Curtis and Rebecca Cobb |
Upcoming
[edit]| Year | Title | Director(s) | Screenwriter(s) | Producer(s) | Composer(s) | Distributor | Feature animation | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2027 | Bad Fairies | Megan Nicole Dong Co-director: Olivier Staphylas |
Deborah Frances-White | Carolyn Soper | Score: Isabella Summers Songs: Toby Marlow Lucy Moss |
Warner Bros. Pictures | DNEG Animation | [13][17] |
| 2028 | The Lunar Chronicles | Noëlle Raffaele | Lindsey Ferrentino Kalen Egan Travis Sentell |
Christina Steinberg | TBA | Industrial Light & Magic | Based on the book series of the same name by Marissa Meyer[18][19][20] | |
| TBA | Wed Wabbit | Olly Reid | Gideon Defoe | Julie Lockhart Andrew Baker |
TBA | Timeless Films | N/a | Locksmith Animation's first independent feature film Originally Locksmith Animation's first live-action/animated hybrid film Based on the book of the same name by Lissa Evans[11][21] |
Short films
[edit]Reception
[edit]Box office
[edit]| Year | Film | Budget | USA gross | Worldwide gross |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Ron's Gone Wrong | $75–$100 million | $23 million | $60.7 million |
| 2024 | That Christmas | $100 million | N/a | N/a |
Critical reception
[edit]| Year | Film | Rotten Tomatoes | Metacritic | CinemaScore |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Ron's Gone Wrong | 82% (103 reviews)[23] | 65 (23 reviews)[24] | A[25] |
| 2024 | That Christmas | 66% (41 reviews)[26] | 60 (13 reviews)[27] | N/a |
Accolades
[edit]| Award | Year | Category | Nominees and recipients | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| VHS Awards | 2021 | Best Animated Film | Ron's Gone Wrong | Nominated |
| Indiana Film Journalists Association Awards | Best Animated Feature | Nominated | ||
| Best Vocal/Motion Capture Performance | Olivia Colman | Nominated | ||
| Zach Galifianakis | Nominated | |||
| 42nd London Film Critics' Circle Awards | British/Irish Actress of the Year | Olivia Colman | Nominated | |
| BFE Cut Above Awards | 2022 | Best Edited Single Animation | David Burrows, James Cooper and Sim Evan-Jones | Nominated |
| 49th Annie Awards | Outstanding Achievement for Character Design in an Animated Feature Production | Julien Bizat | Nominated | |
| Outstanding Achievement for Production Design on an Animated Feature Production | Aurélien Predal, Till Nowak and Nathan Crowley | Nominated | ||
| British Animation Awards | Best Writer | Peter Baynham and Sarah Smith | Nominated | |
| Best Design | Aurélien Predal, Nathan Crowley and Till Nowak | Nominated | ||
| Best Long Form | Ron's Gone Wrong | Won |
| Award | Year | Category | Nominees and recipients | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 53rd Annie Awards | 2026 | Best Animated Short Subject | Cardboard | Nominated |
| 79th British Academy Film Awards | Best British Short Animation | J.P. Vine and Michaela Manas Malina | Nominated |
References
[edit]- ^ "LOCKSMITH ANIMATION LIMITED - Free company information from Companies House".
- ^ a b Clarke, Stewart (31 October 2019). "Warner Signs Multi-Picture Deal With Elisabeth Murdoch's Locksmith Animation". Variety. Retrieved 1 November 2019.
- ^ "LOCKSMITH ANIMATION LIMITED - Free company information from Companies House".
- ^ Gajewski, Ryan (16 July 2024). "Warner Bros. Sets Animated Musical 'Bad Fairies' for 2027 Release". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 16 July 2024.
- ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (9 June 2025). "Warner Bros & Locksmith Animation's 'The Lunar Chronicles' Lands Fall 2028 Release". Deadline. Retrieved 9 June 2025.
- ^ a b "Paramount and Locksmith Animation Enter Exclusive Multi-Pic Deal". Animation Magazine. 4 May 2016. Retrieved 15 February 2018.
- ^ Emmett, Neil (11 April 2014). "British Studios Locksmith and Double Negative Plan To Make CG Features". Cartoon Brew. Retrieved 15 February 2018.
- ^ a b c Lang, Brent (20 September 2017). "Fox, Locksmith Animation Ink Multi-Year Production, Development Deal (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety Magazine. Retrieved 15 February 2018.
- ^ Amidi, Amid (20 September 2017). "UK's Locksmith Animation Announces Production Agreement with 20th Century Fox". Cartoon Brew. Retrieved 15 February 2018.
- ^ N'Duka, Amanda (12 October 2017). "20th Century Fox & Locksmith Animation Slate 'Ron's Gone Wrong' As First Project". Deadline. Retrieved 15 February 2018.
- ^ a b White, Peter (29 January 2018). "Locksmith Animation Sets Up Animated Feature Based On 'Wed Wabbit' Kids' Books". Deadline. Retrieved 15 February 2018.
- ^ Milligan, Mercedes (6 November 2019). "Locksmith Teams with Richard Curtis for Christmas Movie". Animation Magazine. Retrieved 26 January 2023.
- ^ a b Yossman, K.J. (10 June 2021). "Liz Murdoch's Locksmith Animation Hires Natalie Fischer as CEO, Co-Founder Sarah Smith Exits". Variety. Retrieved 18 June 2021.
- ^ Milligan, Mercedes (9 June 2022). "Netflix Sets Bold Slate of Animation from Europe Ahead of Annecy". Animation Magazine. Retrieved 8 August 2022.
- ^ Grobar, Matt (25 January 2022). "The Lunar Chronicles: Locksmith Animation Options Marissa Meyer's New York Times Bestselling Novel Series For Film". Deadline. Retrieved 26 January 2022.
- ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (9 June 2023). "Warner Bros Pictures Animation Inks First-Look Deal With Locksmith Animation; First Pics Are Bad Fairies & The Lunar Chronicles". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 9 June 2023.
- ^ Gajewski, Ryan (16 July 2024). "Warner Bros. Sets Animated Musical 'Bad Fairies' for 2027 Release". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 16 July 2024.
- ^ Grobar, Matt (25 January 2022). "'The Lunar Chronicles': Locksmith Animation Options Marissa Meyer's New York Times Bestselling Novel Series For Film". Deadline. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
- ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (9 June 2023). "Warner Bros Pictures Animation Inks First-Look Deal With Locksmith Animation; First Pics Are 'Bad Fairies' & 'The Lunar Chronicles'". Deadline. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
- ^ Gajewski, Ryan (9 June 2025). "'The Lunar Chronicles' Animated Movie Lands 2028 Release From Warner Bros". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 9 June 2025.
- ^ Ntim, Zac (31 January 2025). "'Ron's Gone Wrong' Studio Locksmith Animation Sets Next Feature 'Wed Wabbit' — EFM". Deadline. Retrieved 31 January 2025.
- ^ https://x.com/lsanimation/status/1901678123067859343?s=61&t=kmvL-LOuranUNlThj5bGOw
- ^ "Ron's Gone Wrong". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved 10 May 2024.
- ^ "Ron's Gone Wrong Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
- ^ El-Mahmoud, Sarah (27 October 2021). "Could Ron's Gone Wrong Get A Sequel? Here's What The Filmmakers Say". Cinemablend.
- ^ "That Christmas". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 4 December 2024.
- ^ "That Christmas". Metacritic. Retrieved 4 December 2024.
- ^ Giardina, Carolyn (20 December 2024). "The Wild Robot Leads 2025 Annie Awards Nominations With 10 Nods". Variety. Retrieved 20 January 2025.