International expansion

In 2009, Double Negative opened its Singapore office,^[17][18] and closed it in March 2016.^[19][20]

In July 2014, Prime Focus World merged with Double Negative;^[21][22] the merged company was rebranded as DNEG.^[23] The two companies announced the upcoming opening of a Mumbai branch following the merger.^[24]

Since 2014, DNEG has opened new facilities in Vancouver, Mumbai, Los Angeles, Chennai, Montréal, Mohali, Bangalore and Toronto.

In August 2021, UK-based firm Novator Capital Advisors invested $250 million in Prime Focus Limited, DNEG's parent company.^[25]

On January 25, 2022, DNEG announced its entry into a definitive business combination agreement with Sports Ventures Acquisition Corp. (Nasdaq: AKIC). Upon the closing of the business combination, subject to customary closing conditions including the approval of the stockholders of Sports Ventures Acquisition Corp., which was expected in the first half of 2022, the combined public company would be named DNEG.^[26][27] The merger was called off in June 2022.^[28]

In November 2022, DNEG announced plans to open a location in Sydney, Australia, where its VFX and animation divisions will work. The new studio was scheduled to open in 2023 in Pyrmont and would be headed by VFX supervisor Andrew Jackson. It will lead the visual effects for George Miller's Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga.^[29][30]

Visual effects

DNEG started as a visual effects (VFX) studio specialised in VFX for feature films. Over the years its offering expanded to include VFX and animation for feature film and television, and stereo conversion.

In 2013 the company launched its Episodic VFX team dedicated to the creation of VFX for television, OTT and streaming providers and designed to allow content producers and networks access to DNEG's team and infrastructure for non-theatrical projects.^[31][32]

Animation

DNEG Animation

Logo used as of 2022
Formerly	DNEG Feature Animation (2014–2021)
Type	Division
Industry	CGI animation
Founded	April 11, 2014 (2014-04-11)
Website	www.dneg.com/dneg-animation/

DNEG Animation (formerly known as DNEG Feature Animation) was founded in April 2014 as DNEG Feature Animation after DNEG formed a deal with Locksmith Animation, with Tom Jacomb leading the studio.^[33] It provides animation services alongside IP creators and filmmakers for both feature and episodic animated projects. A Queen's Guard soldier with a giant pencil sometimes alongside a short six-leg robot guard are the mascots of the studio. Its first project was the short film Mr. Spam Gets A New Hat, directed by Oscar-winning filmmaker William Joyce and released in 2021, which won 'Best Animation' at 2021 New York Shorts International Film Festival, 'Best Animated Short' at Cleveland International Film Festival, 'Best Animation' at LA Shorts Festival, 'Best Animated Short' at Cordillera International Film Festival and 'Best 3D Narrative Short' at SPARK ANIMATION 2021. Its first feature film was Ron's Gone Wrong, co-produced with Locksmith Animation for 20th Century Studios, also released in 2021, which won for 'Best Longform' at the British Animation Awards (BAA).^[34][35][36] With the trailer release of Mr. Spam Gets A New Hat in October 2021, and by early 2022, the studio was renamed to DNEG Animation. The studio then worked on the Netflix television special Entergalactic, created by Scott “Kid Cudi” Mescudi and Kenya Barris and released in September 2022.^[37][38]

The studio's next feature film was Nimona, an adaptation of the webcomic of the same name by ND Stevenson for Netflix and Annapurna Pictures, released in June 2023; in the production of Nimona, DNEG would take over animation from Blue Sky Studios after the company was shut down by then-owner The Walt Disney Company before their production was completed.^[39] It was followed by Under the Boardwalk for Paramount Animation, which was released in October later that year.^[40][41][42] Projects currently in production include an adaptation of The Great Gatsby, The Garfield Movie, for which DNEG is a producer alongside Alcon Entertainment for Sony Pictures,^[43] and That Christmas, a co-production with Locksmith Animation for Netflix.

ReDefine

DNEG ReDefine was launched in 2019 to provide creative visual effects and animation services both to expanding international markets and to filmmakers and streaming companies.^[44][45][46]

Stereo

DNEG Stereo (formerly known as Prime Focus World) was the first in the world to convert a full Hollywood film from 2-D to 3-D and has since become one of the largest stereo conversion companies in the motion picture industry.^[47]

Virtual Production

DNEG Virtual Production is a global, end-to-end virtual production service. It offers filmmakers and content creators access to a full range of real-time production services – from script breakdown, through development / pre-production, production and post-production, to final picture delivery. DNEG Virtual Production has delivered virtual production services for Andy Serkis' Venom: Let There Be Carnage, Keneth Branagh's Death on the Nile and David Leitch's Bullet Train.^[48][49]

Feature films

Television series and specials