How 'Nimona' went from Disney's cutting room floor to Netflix's next big animated feature

• Netflix and Annapurna are reviving "Nimona," an animated movie scrapped by Disney.
• The movie originated at Blue Sky Studios, which Disney shut down last year.

"Nimona," the animated movie put on hold after Disney shut down Blue Sky Studios last year, will finally see the light of day.

Netflix announced on Monday that it would release the movie, based on the graphic novel of the same name by ND Stevenson, in 2023 after partnering with Annapurna Pictures on the production last year.

"Nimona" originated at Blue Sky Studios, the animation studio behind the "Ice Age" movies, which was inherited by Disney in its acquisition of the Fox film assets in 2019. Disney announced in February 2021 that it would be shutting down the studio, leaving "Nimona" incomplete and its future uncertain.

A person with knowledge of the production told Insider that Netflix and Annapurna didn't start from scratch. Much of what Blue Sky started remains intact, and members of the Blue Sky creative team have stayed on the project.

Nick Bruno and Troy Quane, veterans of Blue Sky who directed the studio's "Spies in Disguise," are directing "Nimona." Patrick Osborne was originally set to direct the movie while it was set up at Blue Sky.

A former Blue Sky staffer, who is not involved in the Netflix production, told Insider that Bruno and Quane were heavily involved in "Nimona," essentially acting as its directors, even long before Blue Sky was shut down. The former staffer wished to remain anonymous to protect career prospects.

Quane seemed to confirm his ongoing involvement in the production on Monday, when he tweeted, "Been directing ['Nimona'] since March 2020!!" — more than a year before Disney shut down Blue Sky.

"It's a big sigh of relief," the former Blue Sky staffer said, referring to Netflix's announcement. "It's something that we all worked so hard on together. It was a labor of love."

"Nimona" follows the title character, a shape-shifter who helps a knight who is framed for a crime he didn't commit. The graphic novel features LGBTQ+ themes.

The former staffer said that he "always envisioned" the movie to be a theatrical release, but will be "more accessible" on Netflix, especially for kids.

Insider recently reported that Disney raised concerns about a potential same-sex kiss in "Nimona" while it was being produced by Blue Sky. The kiss would have been between Ballister Blackheart and Ambrosius Goldenloin, who have a romantic relationship in the graphic novel.

The person with knowledge of the production said that the queer elements of "Nimona" are expected to remain intact in the Netflix/Annapurna production.

Disney was recently embroiled in controversy over its response — or lack thereof — to Florida's "Don't Say Gay" bill, which bans conversations about sex and gender in certain classrooms.

Disney didn't abandon all Blue Sky IP. On Wednesday, Disney+ debuted "Ice Age: Scrat Tales," a series of animated shorts.

"This production is made up of true [LGBTQ+] allies," said a second former Blue Sky staffer, who is also not involved with the Netflix production. "We still have a long way to go, but that doesn't mean we can't celebrate this."