After eight months of silence, The Mill has been revived. The VFX and post-production icon, once shuttered under Technicolor in February 2025, re-emerges under new ownership: global translation and transcreation heavyweight TransPerfect. TransPerfect acquired The Mill in April 2025, with a stated goal to preserve the studio’s creative heritage while expanding its global reach. The company, active in 140 markets, describes the move as a “commitment to creative excellence”, combining The Mill’s artistry with its own infrastructure and AI-driven localisation technology.

Familiar Faces, New Era

Continuity appears central to the relaunch. In London, creative directors Ross Urien and Ben Blundell (returning from No. 8) are joined by Matthew-Ben Campbell as head of design and Liam Collinwood as VP managing director. The Paris studio also brings back familiar names: Fabien Godeneche as managing director, Benoit Holl leading creative operations, Guillaume Ho as VFX supervisor and creative director, Guillaume Parra as head of CG, Damien Canameras as head of 2D, and Vincent Venchiarutti as head of design.

In Paris, the leadership speaks of both legacy and evolution. Guillaume Ho calls it “breathing new life” into The Mill’s tradition of pushing creative and technical limits, while Guillaume Parra emphasises a “commitment to embracing emerging technologies” to exceed client expectations. Across statements, the tone is clear: the revival is not nostalgic, but operational. Teams are already active in London, Paris, Seoul, and Bangalore, with expansion into the US market under consideration.

From Gladiator to GlobalLink

Founded in 1990, The Mill became synonymous with cinematic craftsmanship, from Ridley Scott’s Gladiator (2000) to pioneering work in real-time and immersive media. The closure of its Technicolor parent earlier this year marked what many in the industry feared was an end to that legacy. Now, with TransPerfect’s backing, The Mill positions itself as a creative brand with “independent spirit and global reach”. The company claims that its new infrastructure will enable faster, scalable production across languages and markets.

Conclusion: Revival with Caveats

The return of The Mill is undeniably good news for the VFX and post community. The brand’s craft-driven ethos and long-standing team continuity offer stability in an industry still recovering from multiple studio closures. However, the success of this new chapter will depend on how well TransPerfect’s corporate infrastructure coexists with The Mill’s culture of artistry. For now, the team’s optimism and The Mill’s survival are reasons to celebrate.

The post The Mill Returns first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Bela Beier.

Technicolor Group, the parent company of MPC, The Mill, and Mikros Animation, may be shutting down its operations, jeopardizing thousands of jobs across the VFX and animation industries. The financial situation of Technicolor has become critical, pushing the group toward potential bankruptcy.

Financial Trouble

The crisis stems from mounting debt and restructuring issues, with Technicolor Group struggling to sustain its studios. MPC, known for its high-profile VFX work, The Mill, specializing in advertising and real-time content, and Mikros Animation, focused on animated features, are all at risk. This collapse could significantly impact global VFX pipelines, affecting ongoing and future productions.

Maybe someone will step in and acquire the studios, or perhaps Technicolor, which absorbed everything in its path, will now be broken apart. Something will happen for sure, but one thing is certain: this is the end of an era.

If this is the end, then it’s time to celebrate what these studios were and how they revolutionized the industry. Their impact on culture and advertising history is undeniable. The Mill created some of the most iconic commercials of all time—Budweiser’s “What’s up”, a spot so powerful that an entire generation of Indians recognized it, despite the fact that it never officially aired in India (and that was before YouTube). Old Spice? Pure advertising history. In VFX, MPC played a key role in major Hollywood productions, and Gladiator was the first film to bring a VFX Oscar to Europe—fun fact: the birds from the Colosseum scene are still on The Mill London’s server and occasionally find their way into new projects.

More Information

A excellent 3DVF article goes into more detail, and Varieties’s take on the situation (including a focus on Technicolor) is also worth a look. The first thing we heard about it, was from Saltyanimators on Instagram

The post Technicolor Studios on the Brink – MPC, The Mill, Mikros Animation at Risk first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Bela Beier.