BLUE SKY STUDIOS AND FOX MUSIC ANNOUNCE COLLABORATION WITH ACADEMY AWARD®-WINNING SONGWRITER MARK RONSON FOR THE ANIMATED ACTION-COMEDY “SPIES IN DISGUISE,” OPENING BOXING DAY
LONDON, UK – June 11, 2019 – Blue Sky Studios and Fox Music announce a collaboration with Academy Award®-winning, multi-Grammy and Golden Globe Award-winning artist and producer Mark Ronson, who has signed on as Executive Music Producer for the animated action-comedy “Spies in Disguise.”
“Spies in Disguise” stars Will Smith, Tom Holland, Ben Mendelsohn, Karen Gillan, Rashida Jones, DJ Khaled, and Masi Oka. The Fox Animation-Blue Sky Studios-Chernin Entertainment production is directed by Troy Quane and Nick Bruno. Walt Disney Studios will release the film on Boxing Day. The film soundtrack will be released by Ronson’s Zelig Records, a joint venture with Sony Music.
In making the announcement Danielle Diego, Head of Fox Music, said, “We are so excited to be working with Mark, one of the most innovative writer/producers of our time who is constantly breaking new ground. His unique blend of vintage soul and funk exceptionally captures the soul of our film.”
Added directors Quane and Bruno, “Having the immensely talented Mark Ronson on board as Executive Music Producer for ‘Spies in Disguise’ is hugely exciting for all of us who are working on the film.”
Diego and Quane announced the collaboration at the 2019 Annecy International Animated Film Market and Festival taking place at L’Impérial Palace in Annecy, France, where they presented a Masterclass.
Ronson is an internationally renowned DJ and Academy Award®-winning, seven-time-Grammy-Award-
His career highlights include: working on a multi-Grammy-winning album by Amy Winehouse; his own Grammy-winning, global smash hit with Bruno Mars, “Uptown Funk”; releasing four successful albums under his own name; helming Lady Gaga’s acclaimed fifth album, Joanne and Queens of The Stone Age’s lauded “Villains”; his string of singles with Diplo under the name Silk City, including the current worldwide hit “Electricity” with Dua Lipa, which earned him a Grammy Award for “Best Dance Recording” in 2019; and co-writing the song “Shallow,” recorded by Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper for the movie “A Star Is Born,” for which he earned an Academy Award® for “Best Original Song,” a Golden Globe Award for “Best Song Written for a Motion Picture,” a Grammy Award for “Best Song Written for Visual Media,” and a Grammy nomination for “Song of the Year.”
His upcoming fifth studio album “Late Night Feelings” will be released June 21.
Diego, Head of Fox Music, oversees music for films across all Fox Film Divisions, including 20th Century Fox Film, Fox Searchlight, and Fox Animation. Her animated film highlights include the ‘Ice Age’ series, “The Peanuts Movie,” “Garfield” 1 & 2 and “Rio” 1&2, as well as such non-animated hits as “Bohemian Rhapsody,” “The Greatest Showman,” “Life of Pi” and “The Shape of Water.”
Quane and Bruno are making their feature directorial debuts with “Spies in Disguise.” Prior to this, Quane served as a storyboard artist on such films as “Ferdinand,” “Ice Age: Collision Course,” “The Peanuts Movie,” “Hotel Transylvania,” “Arthur Christmas” and “Enchanted.” Bruno previously served as supervising animator on “The Peanuts Movie” and “Ice Age: Continental Drift,” as senior animator on “Rio” and “Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs,” and as animator on “Ice Age: Collision Course,” “Rio 2,” “Epic” and “Ice Age: The Meltdown.”
ABOUT “SPIES IN DISGUISE”
Super spy Lance Sterling (Will Smith) and scientist Walter Beckett (Tom Holland) are almost exact opposites. Lance is smooth, suave and debonair. Walter is… not. But what Walter lacks in social skills he makes up for in smarts and invention, creating the awesome gadgets Lance uses on his epic missions. But when events take an unexpected turn, Walter and Lance suddenly have to rely on each other in a whole new way. And if this odd couple can’t learn to work as a team, the whole world is in peril. “Spies in Disguise” is an animated comedy set in the high-octane globe-trotting world of international espionage.
ABOUT BLUE SKY STUDIOS
Blue Sky Studios is an Academy Award®-winning feature CG animation studio based in Greenwich, Connecticut. Creators of the globally beloved “Ice Age” (2002, 2006, 2009, 2012, 2016) and “Rio” (2011, 2014) franchises, Blue Sky’s productions also include: “Robots” (2005), “Dr. Seuss’ Horton Hears a Who!” (2008), “Epic” (2013), “The Peanuts Movie” (2015) and most recently the Academy Award®-nominated “Ferdinand” (2017). Upcoming productions include “Spies in Disguise” (2019), voiced by Will Smith and Tom Holland, and “Nimona” (2021) based on the much-loved graphic novel. Working with creative voices from all corners of the globe, Blue Sky produces bold meaningful films that resonate with audiences around the world.