Deadline – Animated Film ‘Nimona’ Starring Chloë Grace Moretz, Riz Ahmed & Eugene Lee Yang Finds Home At Netflix Following Blue Sky Studios Shutdown; ND Stevenson, Who Penned Original Graphic Novel, Reacts
The animated film Nimona, scrapped following the shutdown of Blue Sky Studios amid Disney’s acquisition of Fox, has landed at Netflix, with Chloë Grace Moretz (Mother/Android), Riz Ahmed (Sound of Metal) and Eugene Lee Yang (Spring Bloom) set to star. The adaptation of ND Stevenson’s New York Times bestselling graphic novel—originally to have been directed by Patrick Osborne, but now being helmed by Nick Bruno and Troy Quane (Spies in Disguise)—will debut on the streamer in 2023.
In the LGBTQ+-themed Nimona, Knight Ballister Boldheart (Ahmed) is framed for a crime he didn’t commit and the only person who can help him prove his innocence is Nimona (Moretz), a shape-shifting teen who might also be a monster he’s sworn to kill. Set in a techno-medieval world unlike anything animation has tackled before, this is an inclusive story about the labels we assign to people and the shapeshifter who refuses to be defined by anyone. Yang is playing a character named Ambrosius Goldenloin.
Netflix partnered with Annapurna Pictures on Nimona when production began early last year. Roy Lee, Karen Ryan and Julie Zackary are producing, with Robert L. Baird, Megan Ellison and Andrew Millstein exec producing, and DNEG handling animation for the feature.
Taking to Twitter today to celebrate Nimona‘s revival was Stevenson, who wrote, “Nimona’s always been a spunky little story that just wouldn’t stop. She’s a fighter…but she’s also got some really awesome people fighting for her. I am excited out of my mind to announce that THE NIMONA MOVIE IS ALIVE…coming at you in 2023 from Annapurna and Netflix.”
Moretz was recently seen in the Hulu sci-fi thriller Mother/Android, and will next star in the Amazon sci-fi series The Peripheral, Anne Sewitsky’s thriller White Night with Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Kike Maillo’s crime drama Love Is a Gun.
Ahmed recently shared an Oscar with Aneil Karia for the live-action short The Long Goodbye, which he co-wrote and starred in. The actor will next appear in Yann Demange’s sci-fi drama, Exit West. Other recent credits include the films Encounter, Mogul Mowgli and Sound of Metal, and the Netflix series The OA.
Yang will next be seen in Cole Evans’ romantic drama Spring Bloom, with Jack McDormand and Nora Zehetner. Additional credits include the podcast series Classified and Brooklyn Nine-Nine.
Stevenson’s reaction to today’s Nimona news, and a first-look still from the film unveiled by Netflix today, can be found below. Moretz is represented by WME, T Squared Entertainment and Sloane, Offer, Weber & Dern; Ahmed by WME; Yang by WME, Avalon Management and Hansen, Jacobson, Teller; Bruno by UTA and Newhouse / Porter / Hubbard; Quane by Verve and Lichter, Grossman, Nichols; and Stevenson by APA, Inkwell Management and Weintraub Tobin Chediak.
