As Disney is continuing the “trim the fat” in a sense by shutting down branches and studios that seem either repetitive or irrelevant. Now another such studio is paying the price. It was announced that Disney will be closing the Lucasfilm Industrial Light & Magic animation/VFX studio in Singapore.

The Singapore offices were founded in 2004 for the purpose of animation and VFX. In 2005 the offices would open a Digital Artists Group division to work on video games.



The studio, while not the main animation studio for Lucasfilm the studio worked on a number of episodes for the animated Star Wars: The Clone Wars television series. The studio also provided animations for other projects such as video games within the Clone Wars brand for Lucasarts.

Disney released the following statement shortly after the announcement:

“Over the next several months, ILM will be consolidating its global footprint and winding down its Singapore studio due to economic factors affecting the industry.“

A joint statement was made by the Singapore Economic Development Board and the InfoComm Media Development Authority shortly after:

“Lucasfilm’s decision to wind down its Singapore operations is in response to changes in the industry and business conditions. The global media industry is facing disruption from rapid technological advancements, while studios are coping with challenges relating to talent and profitability.“

The Singapore offices currently employ more than 300 jobs. It is currently unknown what percentage of the workforce will be terminated following the closure. Some may even be transferred to the main offices in California.

With the continued decline of most major Hollywood studios at the box office and streaming, the number of production companies is slowly being trimmed down. The current writer and actor strikes are also taking a toll on the industry, leaving many without work due to the lack of creative talent. 

Source: Variety