Sony Pictures Animation facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Sony Pictures Animation Inc.

Logo used since 2018
Type	Subsidiary
Industry	Animation
Predecessor	Screen Gems (1931–1949) Adelaide Productions
Founded	May 9, 2002; 23 years ago (2002-05-09)
Headquarters	5750 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles, California , U.S.
Key people	Kristine Belson (co-president) Damien de Froberville (co-president)
Products	Feature films Short films Television series
Number of employees	255 (2018)
Parent	Sony Pictures Digital (2002–2015) Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group (2015–present)

Sony Pictures Animation Inc. (also known as SPA) is an American animation studio that creates popular animated movies and TV shows. It is owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment and was started on May 9, 2002. The studio is based in Los Angeles, California.

You've probably seen their movies! They are famous for films like the Hotel Transylvania series, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, and the award-winning Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. Sony Pictures Animation has made over 25 feature films. Their first movie was Open Season in 2006.

The Story of the Studio

In 2001, Sony Pictures saw how successful computer-animated movies like Shrek and Monsters, Inc. were. At the time, Sony had a special effects company called Sony Pictures Imageworks (SPI). They decided to turn SPI into an animation studio to create their own animated films.

On May 9, 2002, Sony Pictures Animation was officially created. Their goal was to develop new characters and stories for movies. To practice, they made two short films, including the Oscar-winning The ChubbChubbs!.

The studio's logo from 2006 to 2011

A year later, the new studio announced its first set of movies. These included Open Season, Surf's Up, and Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs. These films helped establish Sony Pictures Animation as a major animation studio.

The studio's logo from 2011 to 2018

Over the years, the studio has grown. In 2019, they created special divisions to make animated movies for international audiences and for adults. They also made a deal with Netflix and Disney+ so that their movies can be streamed online.

How They Make Movies

Sony Pictures Animation often works with other companies to create its films. Their sister company, Sony Pictures Imageworks, handles the computer animation for most of their movies. This is similar to how other big studios, like Warner Bros. Pictures Animation and Paramount Animation, make their films.

Sometimes, the studio buys movies that were made by other animation companies. For example, they released Arthur Christmas and The Pirates! Band of Misfits, which were made by Aardman Animations in the United Kingdom.

The president of the studio, Kristine Belson, said they focus on developing one movie for every one they put into production. This helps them make sure each film gets the attention it needs to be great.

What Movies Have They Made?

Sony Pictures Animation has released many hit movies. Their first film, Open Season (2006), was a big success and led to three sequels. Surf's Up (2007) was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Animated Feature.

The studio's first 3D movie was Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (2009). They also made movies that combine animation with live-action, like The Smurfs (2011).

One of their most successful series is Hotel Transylvania. The first movie came out in 2012 and was so popular that it started a franchise with several sequels and a TV show.

More recent hits include:

• Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018), which won an Academy Award for its unique animation style.
• The Mitchells vs. the Machines (2021), a fun movie about a family road trip during a robot apocalypse.
• Vivo (2021), the studio's first musical film, with songs by Lin-Manuel Miranda.
• Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023), the popular sequel to Into the Spider-Verse.

What's Coming Next?

The studio is always working on new and exciting projects. Upcoming films include:

• ..., a comedy for older audiences, which was released on Netflix on August 13, 2025.
• Goat, a sports movie set to be released in February 2026.
• Buds, scheduled for release in March 2027.
• Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse, the next chapter in the Spider-Verse story, planned for June 2027.

They are also developing an animated Ghostbusters movie and other original films.

Popular Movie Series

Many of Sony Pictures Animation's films have become successful franchises with sequels, short films, and TV shows.

See also

In Spanish: Sony Pictures Animation para niños

• Adelaide Productions
• Sony Pictures Imageworks
• Sony Pictures Television Kids
• Screen Gems (1921–1949)
• Sony Pictures Kids Zone
• United Productions of America
• List of Sony theatrical animated feature films
• List of unproduced Sony Pictures Animation projects
• List of animation studios owned by Sony