LONDON—Visual effects services (VFX) provider DNEG has announced a new multiyear services agreement with Netflix.
The non-exclusive agreement covers the provision of visual effects and virtual production services by DNEG for Netflix series and feature programming. The new agreement extends and expands on a previous agreement that the companies signed in September 2020 and creates a pipeline of Netflix programming work for DNEG through 2025.
As part of the agreement, DNEG will build upon its existing award-winning Netflix work with a significant expansion of its premium VFX work, both domestic and abroad. DNEG’s ReDefine division will also supply VFX services and top-end creative supervision for select Netflix programming.
Deadline has valued the deal as being worth $350 million.
“Netflix is the leader in the field of streaming content, and DNEG is at the forefront of VFX and virtual production services,” said Namit Malhotra, DNEG chairman and CEO. “This agreement is transformative for DNEG and creates the opportunity for further expansion of our global scale and further investment in DNEG’s industry-leading technology. The signing of this multiyear agreement reflects the success of our partnership with Netflix to-date and validates DNEG’s strategic direction and worldwide growth initiatives.”
Malhotra added that “to meet the strong demand for our services and drive even further growth, DNEG is looking to expand our capacity up to 40% by year-end 2022.”
DNEG, which in recent years has won seven Academy Awards for its visual effects work, including six of the last eight awards, is already working with Netflix on a number of projects in its upcoming slate, including the highly anticipated “Stranger Things” Season 4; Rian Johnson’s Knives Out 2; fantasy action-dramas The School for Good and Evil and Avatar: The Last Airbender; origin story The Witcher: Blood Origin; and upcoming fantasy comedy-adventure Slumberland for director Francis Lawrence. DNEG Animation is providing animation services for the much anticipated animated feature film Nimona, which will be released by Netflix in 2023.
DNEG has previously delivered visual effects services for Netflix episodic series including “Locke & Key” Seasons 1 and 2, Shadow & Bone, The Irregulars, Cursed, “Altered Carbon” Seasons 1 and 2, Jupiter’s Legacy, Away, The Letter For The King, “Black Mirror” Seasons 4 and 5, and The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance, as well as a number of Netflix movies. DNEG won a Visual Effects Society Award for its work on “Altered Carbon” and a BAFTA TV Craft Award for its work on Black Mirror. ReDefine has delivered VFX for Netflix movies such as The White Tiger, Mimi and Sweet Girl, and is currently in production on the upcoming Adam Sandler movie, Hustle.
