Visual effects powerhouse Moving Picture Company (MPC) has shut down its Vancouver studio effective immediately.
At its peak in 2013, more than 800 artists worked out of MPC’s Vancouver studio. It is not clear at this point how many people are affected by the shutdown.
MPC Vancouver’s employees were told of the closure during a meeting yesterday morning.
CBC News has obtained an email sent to staff announcing the immediate closure of its Vancouver studio. The email cited “increasing external market pressures in Vancouver and more attractive opportunities in other locations” as the reason for the shutdown.
MPC, which is owned by Technicolor, will continue to operate studios in Montreal, Paris, Adelaide, LA, and Toronto.
MPC’s various studios have been collectively responsible for films like The Lion King, The Jungle Book, Justice League, Blade Runner 2049, X-Men, Prometheus, Dumbo, Detective Pikachu, and Guardians of the Galaxy.
The Vancouver team in particular played a significant role in the recent redesign of the main character in Paramount’s upcoming Sonic the Hedgehog.