Archive republication: This article was originally published on 28 October 2020. It has been translated into English and lightly updated for clarity while preserving the original reporting and context.
Six Animated Films a Year
Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos told Variety that the company wanted to release six animated feature films each year, in addition to its output of animated series.
From Klaus to New Filmmaker Projects
Netflix had released its first original animated feature, Klaus, the previous year. Its 2020 animation slate included The Willoughbys, Over the Moon, Next Gen and Fearless.
Projects in the pipeline included Richard Linklater’s Apollo 10½: A Space Age Childhood, Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio, Nora Twomey’s My Father’s Dragon and Henry Selick’s Wendell & Wild.
Originality as a Differentiator
Netflix’s ability to compete with Pixar, Disney and other major studios would depend partly on distinct original projects. At the time, many forthcoming US studio releases were sequels or television adaptations, giving Netflix an opportunity to attract audiences with original stories.
Trailers
The Willoughbys
Over the Moon
Next Gen
Fearless
