# 20th Century Animation

**20th Century Animation** is the animated-film production arm of 20th Century Studios, which itself became part of [The Walt Disney Company](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-walt-disney-company) when Disney completed its acquisition of 21st Century Fox in March 2019<sup>[1](https://d23.com/21st-century-fox-eight-decades-movie-television-magic/)</sup>.

| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Corporate parent | Animation division of 20th Century Studios; the film production businesses acquired by Disney included 20th Century Fox and Fox Animation<sup>[2](https://d23.com/a-to-z/21st-century-fox/)</sup> |
| Signature franchise | Ice Age, released by 20th Century Fox in March 2002 and produced by Blue Sky Studios<sup>[3](https://www.cgw.com/Publications/CGW/2006/Volume-29-Issue-10-Oct-2006-/A-Taste-of-Independance.aspx)</sup> |
| Theatrical output | 12 films listed by The Numbers for 20th Century Fox Animation grossed $2,699,416,199 worldwide in total<sup>[4](https://www.the-numbers.com/movies/production-company/20th-Century-Fox-Animation)</sup> |
| Biggest listed hit | Rio 2 (2014), $492,846,291 worldwide on a $130,000,000 production budget<sup>[4](https://www.the-numbers.com/movies/production-company/20th-Century-Fox-Animation)</sup> |

## Origins and the Blue Sky era

20th Century Fox entered feature animation later than Disney or Warner Bros., and its most consequential move was the purchase of [Blue Sky Studios](https://www.edgepedia.org/blue-sky-studios) in 1997<sup>[7](https://deadline.com/2021/02/blue-sky-studios-closing-disney-ice-age-franchise-animation-1234690310/)</sup>. Blue Sky, an independent computer animation studio based in the United States, released Ice Age through 20th Century Fox in March 2002<sup>[3](https://www.cgw.com/Publications/CGW/2006/Volume-29-Issue-10-Oct-2006-/A-Taste-of-Independance.aspx)</sup>. The film was a modestly scaled road movie set in a frozen prehistoric world, pairing a woolly mammoth, a sloth, and a sabretoothed tiger, and it grew into a sprawling franchise<sup>[5](https://www.creativebloq.com/art/animation/from-shrek-to-chicken-run-these-are-the-most-influential-animated-films-of-the-2000s)</sup>. Blue Sky used light simulation and ray-tracing-based rendering (computing light paths to create realistic reflections and shading) to model how light scatters across ice, snow, and stone, giving the film a distinctive clarity and depth<sup>[5](https://www.creativebloq.com/art/animation/from-shrek-to-chicken-run-these-are-the-most-influential-animated-films-of-the-2000s)</sup>.

**Fox's corporate shape changed in 2013.** [News Corp](https://www.edgepedia.org/news-corp). split its publishing and entertainment divisions into two groups, News Corp. and 21st Century Fox, the latter carrying Twentieth Century Fox and Twentieth Television<sup>[2](https://d23.com/a-to-z/21st-century-fox/)</sup>. Animation production continued under 21st Century Fox, with Fox Animation counted among the company's film production businesses<sup>[2](https://d23.com/a-to-z/21st-century-fox/)</sup>.

The division also worked through external partnerships and outsourced animation houses.

## Box office record

The Numbers tracks twelve films credited to 20th Century Fox Animation as a production company, with combined worldwide box office of $2,699,416,199 against combined production budgets of $800,000,000; the average worldwide gross per film was $299,935,133<sup>[4](https://www.the-numbers.com/movies/production-company/20th-Century-Fox-Animation)</sup>.

| Release | Title | Budget | Worldwide gross |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 25, 2019 | Spies in Disguise | $100,000,000 | $165,124,093 |
| Dec 15, 2017 | Ferdinand | $111,000,000 | $307,491,645 |
| Jul 22, 2016 | Ice Age: Collision Course | $105,000,000 | $402,156,682 |
| Nov 6, 2015 | The Peanuts Movie | $99,000,000 | $250,091,610 |
| Apr 11, 2014 | Rio 2 | $130,000,000 | $492,846,291 |
| Apr 15, 2011 | Rio | $90,000,000 | $487,517,241 |

The two Rio films stand out as the division's largest earners on the list, each approaching or exceeding $480 million worldwide, while the final Ice Age sequel, Collision Course, earned about $402 million<sup>[4](https://www.the-numbers.com/movies/production-company/20th-Century-Fox-Animation)</sup>.

## The Disney acquisition and after

Disney announced on December 14, 2017 that it would acquire 21st Century Fox after a spinoff of certain businesses, in a deal valued at $52.4 billion in stock, with the combined film production businesses including Twentieth Century Fox<sup>[6](https://investors.thewaltdisneycompany.com/files/doc_news/The-Walt-Disney-Company-To-Acquire-Twenty-First-Century-Fox-Inc--After-Spinoff-Of-Certain-Businesses-For-52-4-Billion-In-Stock-12-14--VD41D.pdf)</sup>. The acquisition was completed on March 20, 2019<sup>[1](https://d23.com/21st-century-fox-eight-decades-movie-television-magic/)</sup>. Blue Sky Studios remained under Fox ownership until 2021, when Disney shut it down<sup>[7](https://deadline.com/2021/02/blue-sky-studios-closing-disney-ice-age-franchise-animation-1234690310/)</sup>.

Under Disney, the studio's releases have continued through the 20th Century Animation label. [The Bob's Burgers Movie](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-bobs-burgers-movie), released May 27, 2022, grossed $34,074,480 worldwide, and [Night at the Museum: Kahmunrah Rises Again](https://www.edgepedia.org/night-at-the-museum-kahmunrah-rises-again) followed in December 2022<sup>[4](https://www.the-numbers.com/movies/production-company/20th-Century-Fox-Animation)</sup>.

## References

1. [21st Century Fox: Eight Decades of Movie and Television Magic, D23](https://d23.com/21st-century-fox-eight-decades-movie-television-magic/)
2. [21st Century Fox, D23 A to Z](https://d23.com/a-to-z/21st-century-fox/)
3. [A Taste of Independence, Computer Graphics World (2006)](https://www.cgw.com/Publications/CGW/2006/Volume-29-Issue-10-Oct-2006-/A-Taste-of-Independance.aspx)
4. [Box Office History for 20th Century Fox Animation Movies, The Numbers](https://www.the-numbers.com/movies/production-company/20th-Century-Fox-Animation)
5. [From Shrek to Chicken Run: the most influential animated films of the 2000s, Creative Bloq](https://www.creativebloq.com/art/animation/from-shrek-to-chicken-run-these-are-the-most-influential-animated-films-of-the-2000s)
6. [The Walt Disney Company To Acquire Twenty-First Century Fox, Inc., After Spinoff Of Certain Businesses, For $52.4 Billion In Stock (press release, December 14, 2017)](https://investors.thewaltdisneycompany.com/files/doc_news/The-Walt-Disney-Company-To-Acquire-Twenty-First-Century-Fox-Inc--After-Spinoff-Of-Certain-Businesses-For-52-4-Billion-In-Stock-12-14--VD41D.pdf)
7. [Disney Closing Down Blue Sky Studios, Creators Of 'Ice Age', deadline.com](https://deadline.com/2021/02/blue-sky-studios-closing-disney-ice-age-franchise-animation-1234690310/)

---
*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Screen production organizations › Animation studios › Individual animation studios › Major American animation studios*

*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 19, 2026; Sep 30, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 19, 2026; Sep 30, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*

*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*

License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license