Netflix revives canceled Nimona film from Blue Sky Studios

We have great news to share with fans of the best-selling fantasy graphic novel Nimona by writer and artist ND Stevenson. Netflix has picked up the previously canceled Nimona film from the now-defunct Blue Sky Studios and will release the movie next year.

According to the recent Netflix press release and blog post, the highly-anticipated animated film went into production early last year after Netflix partnered with Annapurna Pictures for the project. Stevenson was able to announce the great news of the project’s revival on Twitter earlier today, April 11.

The film will be directed by Nick Bruno and Troy Quane with Roy Lee, Karen Ryan and Julie Zackary producing. Robert L. Baird, Megan Ellison and Andrew Millstein will executive produce. The cast is the same as it was at its previous home with Chloë Grace Moretz set to voice Nimona, Riz Ahmed playing Ballister Boldheart and Eugene Lee Yang as Ambrosius Goldenloin.

Why was Nimona previously canceled?

After Disney purchased Fox in 2019, the movie was shuffled around and delayed several times before Disney ultimately shut down Blue Sky Studios and production on the film was canceled. According to various reports, the movie’s production was about 75% done and on track to be completed by October 2021.

In 2022 when Disney came under fire for its political donations to Florida and silence over the controversial “Don’t Say Gay” bill, several former Blue Sky Studio staffers alleged that Nimona received pushback from Disney because of its LGBTQIA+ representation and the fact the movie would feature a same-sex kiss.

Here’s what Business Insider reported on the matter:

"The pushback started during a meeting in mid-2020 between the leadership teams, the former staffers said. Blue Sky leadership felt enough pressure in this meeting to leave the kiss out of future presentations to Disney, despite hoping to ultimately include it in the film, the sources said."

Hopefully at Netflix, the animators will get to create the movie they originally intended with the kissing scene intact and representation included!

Nimona Netflix release date updates

We don’t have an exact release date yet for the movie. Netflix announced that the film will come out in 2023. Stay tuned to Netflix Life for additional updates on Nimona.