Netflix acquires visual-effects firm Scanline VFX

Netflix will acquire Scanline VFX, a small visual-effects firm that has contributed to the visuals of shows such as "Stranger Things," in order to expand its in-house production capabilities. Financial terms are not yet provided.

Amy Reinhard, vice president of studio operations at Netflix, said: “From the interstellar landscape of Cowboy Bebop and the ravenous vampires of Blood Red Sky to the exploding underground reactor in Stranger Things 3, we want to surprise and delight our members by pushing the boundaries of visual effects. So we’re pleased to announce today our plans to acquire Scanline VFX, one of the most creative and innovative VFX studios in the world.”

Scanline, which specialises in photo-realistic effects and virtual production, created some of the graphics for future Netflix films including the Russo brothers' action movie "The Gray Man," “Don’t Look Up,” “Slumberland,” and “The Adam Project.” Its previous work can be seen in "Game of Thrones" and "Godzilla vs. Kong," and it has won a technical Oscar for a fluid-rendering system in 2008.

Netflix will invest in Scanline’s pipeline, infrastructure and workforce and continue to support the pioneering work that Scanline’s Eyeline Studios is doing in virtual production to push the boundaries of what is visibly possible. 

“Going forward, the company will continue to operate as a standalone business and work with their variety of clients. We’ll also continue to rely on many other studios around the world for our VFX needs so we can continue to ensure that our creators have access to the world's most innovative tech, and continue to bring the most compelling and cutting-edge storytelling to our members,” said Amy Reinhard.   

Scanline was founded in 1989 and is now led by Stephan Trojansky, a trailblazing VFX supervisor whose proprietary fluid rendering system Flowline won an Academy Award for Technical Achievement in 2008. The company has offices in Vancouver, Montreal, Los Angeles, London, Munich, Stuttgart, and Seoul.