VARIETY: Technicolor Bankruptcy: TransPerfect Acquires MPC and The Mill’s France Operations
Language translation and AI tech business TransPerfect has acquired the France-based studios of The Mill and MPC, two global VFX brands that were owned by parent Technicolor, which abruptly shut down in February amid financial difficulties. According to TransPerfect, it retains the estimated 120 employees from these operations. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Paris-headquartered Technicolor had reorganized several times in recent years and when it closed it was the parent company of VFX giant MPC, commercial VFX studio The Mill, Mikros Animation and Technicolor Gaming. The closure affected thousands of employees around the world.
According to TransPerfect, it will, at least initially, continue to use the brand names The Mill and MPC for its France operations. It reported that through the French insolvency process “there has been no interruption in operations and the goal will be to guarantee business as usual for team members and customers.”
It is understood MPC, whose headquarters was in London, was working on Disney’s “Lilo and Stitch” and Paramount’s “Mission Impossible – The Final Reckoning” at the time of the shut down. But it was not known at press time if these projects involved the France-based team.
The deal brings visual effects into TransPerfect’s growing business. Earlier this month, TransPerfect acquired Technicolor Games and digital media services provider Blu Digital Group. Technicolor Games is now a division of TransPerfect Gaming, while Blu Digital will operate as a division of TransPerfect Media, a provider of postproduction and localization services.
Since Paris-headquartered Technicolor’s collapse last month, additional deals have been made. VFX company Rodeo FX acquired Technicolor’s Mikros Animation. Additionally a group of former employees of The Mill’s U.S. operations launched ARC Creative, a bicoastal creative studio backed by VFX group holding company Dream Machine FX.