Why did Disney cancel ‘Nimona?’

The Nimona animated movie has had to jump through some serious hoops to end up on our screens. Finally coming to Netflix in June of this year, the film adaptation of ND Stevenson’s graphic novel almost didn’t happen.

In 2015, 20th Century Fox Animation acquired the rights for a film adaptation of Nimona, which was going to be produced by its subsidiary studios Blue Sky – famous for making the Ice Age movies. When Disney acquired Fox in 2019, the film was continuously delayed, from a 2020 release to 2021 and eventually January 2022.

However, before Nimona was completed, Disney shut down Blue Sky studios in February 2021. Borys Kit, a reporter for The Hollywood Reporter, shared at the time that the film was 75% complete when Blue Sky closed its doors. It was essentially the studio’s final film.

The decision to close Blue Sky was reportedly motivated by the financial impacts of the global pandemic, and made in an effort to cut costs at Disney. According to Blue Sky staffers who spoke with Business Insider at the time, Nimona was the product of an internal effort by the studios to modernize its storytelling and animation, as it upgraded its software from “the ground up.” One of the sources speculated that the initiative might have contributed to Disney’s decision. “A lot of money had already been spent and more was needed. Blue Sky needed too much to survive,” they told Business Insider.

Nimona reportedly faced pushback for its LGBT+ themes

Before getting axed by Disney alongside Blue Sky, Nimona was trying to stand up for the graphic novel’s original depiction of queer stories and characters. The film was set to include a same-sex kiss, and an “I love you” scene between Ballister Blackheart and Ambrosius Goldenloin.

However, according to former Blue Sky collaborators who talked to Business Insider, Disney higher-ups weren’t too enthusiastic about the idea. The team at the animation studios allegedly felt pressured to leave mentions of the kiss out of future presentations to Disney, following a meeting that occurred in mid-2020. Despite this, they still hoped to include it in the final version of the movie.

Disney has continuously hindered attempts to bring LGBTQ+ characters to the forefront of its productions, ranging from its animated projects at Blue Sky or Pixar to its live-action adaptations of classic Disney films, and installments from its major IPs like Marvel and Star Wars.

At the time Blue Sky Studios was closed down, the company was put under fire for its initial silence on Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill, which banned the discussion of sexual orientation and gender identity in public schools up to the third grade. Bob Chapek, the Disney CEO at that time, eventually opposed the bill and pledged to fortify the company’s support of the LGBTQ+ community.

Movies like Strange World and Disney’s refusal to cut the gay references in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness after pressures from foreign markets show steps in the right direction.

Thankfully, Nimona also found its own happy ending, with Netflix rescuing the film in 2022. The first trailer and the release date were announced in May 2023. Nimona, starring Chloë Grace Moretz, Riz Ahmed, and Eugene Lee Yang finally releases June 30, 2023.