Original Force Animation Presidents Step Down

The spin on their departure at Original Force is that they want to return to producing. “Launching Original Force Animation was a true global effort and we can’t wait for audiences to finally have the chance to see and appreciate the artistry behind Duck Duck Goose, which is a very special film,” the duo said in a statement. “With Original Force up and running with a strong team in place, we chose to transition back to what we love most, which is producing high quality family projects.”

Original Force CEO Harley Zhao added in a statement to Variety: “I would like to thank Penney and Sandy for their creative leadership, vision, and tenacity in turning Original Force into a first class international animation company. Having launched us from our start-up phase and seen us through the delivery of our first film, Sandy and Penney will be following their passion and returning to their roots as producers. They will continue to be key creative partners with us at Original Force as they produce our next animated feature, Ten Lives.”

Zhao told Variety that Nina Bass will handle day-to-day studio operations and David Orecklin would continue in his role as vice president of production, while Zhao himself would continue to lead the company.

Duck Duck Goose will be distributed in the U.S. by the Chinese distribution company Open Road Films, which currently has The Nut Job 2 in theaters. The film, directed by American animation veteran Chris Jenkins, opens on April 20, 2018.

Pre-production on Duck Duck Goose was done with a small crew in Los Angeles, while production was handled in China at Original Force. The company is almost one thousand strong with offices in Beijing, Nanjing, and Chengdu.