Montreal, Québec – With a slate of new IP brands in development and the acquisition of major production deals, the Montreal-based Digital Dimension Entertainment Group continues its mission of creating new jobs by doubling its current workforce in 2021, demonstrating the steadfastness of the animation industry while live-action productions continue to grapple with the impacts of social distancing on current and upcoming projects.
Among the studio’s major projects currently in production is the highly anticipated animated series Army of the Dead: Lost Vegas directed by Zack Snyder and Jay Oliva serving as a prequel to Snyder’s upcoming Netflix zombie heist action film Army of the Dead. The series will be Executive Produced by Deborah Snyder, Zack Snyder, Wesley Coller from The Stone Quarry alongside Jay Olivia and Shay Hatten, the project is scheduled for release on Netflix.
On its own, this project will allow DDEG to create nearly 80 new positions in its Meduzarts Animation Studio while ensuring the safety and health of its teams as the entire studio has gone cloud-based, allowing staff to work remotely from the safety of their homes while continuing to respect social distancing measures as the city, province and world continue to fight COVID-19. “With a project of this magnitude, with a director as renowned as Zack Snyder and because the expectations we set for ourselves are nothing short of immense, we are happy to be in the position to hire the best of the best artists,” says Louis-Simon Menard, President and CEO of Digital Dimension Entertainment Group.
DDEG’s Saturday Animation Studio, which focuses on quality youth content, is also full speed ahead on the development of its own IP slate, the renewal of its award-winning co-produced property “Mighty Mike” (Cartoon Network/ABC/Universal Kids), as well as production deals of exciting new series which will open up several more jobs in 2021.
Continuing on its mission to innovate, “Army of the Dead: Lost Vegas” will be the entertainment group’s third series produced in real-time on the Unreal engine. Previously, DDEG leveraged the gaming engine for NBCUniversal’s “Zafari”, the first animated series to be fully produced in real-time, and PKDI’s “The Beachbuds”.
“Animation has always been an incredibly powerful storytelling tool. In today’s context, it’s also an incredibly powerful economic driver. We’re happy to welcome artists into our family and provide them with job security and a creative outlet, two of the most valuable assets we can contribute during these uncertain times,” says Rachelle Houde Simard, VP Storytelling.
