Andrea Miloro has announced to be stepping down as co-president of Fox Animation, the division Disney inherited with its $71.3 billion acquisition of most of the assets of the former 21st Century Fox. The executive’s departure comes as Disney is assessing Fox-owned Blue Sky Studios.
As THR reports, Miloro, who had been in the role for 21 months, had direct oversight over Fox-owned Blue Sky Studios, the Greenwich, Connecticut, animation studio behind the Ice Age and Rio movies. She split her time between Los Angeles and Connecticut.
Before serving as co-president, Miloro had served as senior VP production at Fox Animation. Prior to that, she was VP, head of production at Sony Pictures Animation, where she oversaw the making of Open Season, Surf’s Up, Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs, Hotel Transylvania and Open Season 2.
Since Disney already owns two animation powerhouses- Disney Animation Studios and Pixar, there has been some question about how Fox Animation/Blue Sky would strategically fit into the larger company. Disney could choose to hold onto Blue Sky to help feed the pipeline for its new streaming service, Disney+, or it could sell the company.
Below is her full memo to employees :
I am writing today with some news that is difficult to share, but I wanted you to hear it from me: I will be leaving Blue Sky.
Two years ago we began the journey to elevate and evolve this vibrant studio. We embarked on a robust development slate, attracting new talent and pushing forward with technology to support the storytelling.
Blue Sky has always been a force for powerful family entertainment, and for the last 10 years I have loved being a part of the family. While this is the end of my Blue Sky journey, I know that this studio will continue to surpass the very high expectations we set out for ourselves.
Thank you for so many wonderful memories. I wish everyone the very best.
Miloro’s tenure at the helm of Fox Animation was not a cake walk. She was the subject of human resources inquiries at Fox regarding unprofessional behavior.
The release date of Blue Sky’s 2019 film, the Will Smith-voiced Spies in Disguise, has been pushed twice and seen its budget balloon. The film is slated to release for Christmas, five days after Disney’s Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.