Deluxe’s Method Studios to Acquire Visual Effect House Atomic Fiction

By Peter Caranicas

LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – Deluxe has signed an agreement to acquire visual effects company Atomic Fiction, which has studios in Montreal and San Francisco.

The company will join Method Studios, Deluxe’s vfx brand, as part of a strategy to deepen the company’s talent base and capacity to take on the biggest and most challenging visual effects projects for features, episodic TV, advertising and brands.

Founded in 2010 by Kevin Baillie and Ryan Tudhope, Atomic Fiction has collaborated with director Robert Zemeckis on a number of projects, including “The Walk,” Allied” and the upcoming “Welcome to Marwen.”

The company also worked on the Oscar-winning effects of “Blade Runner 2049” (pictured); on Paramount’s “Star Trek Beyond”; Fox’s “Deadpool”; HBO’s “Games of Thrones”; and season 3 of Netflix’s “Stranger Things.”

“Throughout my career, I’ve always felt that it’s important to surround myself with the best of the best in their craft,” said Zemeckis. “Kevin [Baillie] and the team at Atomic Fiction are exactly that and, with the resources of Deluxe and Method behind them, I’m excited to have an even stronger team by my side.”

The union of Atomic Fiction and Method extends capacity and talent for both studios, enabling the combined entity to take on the biggest vfx sequences and even entire features.

Atomic Fiction’s Montreal location will become a flagship studio for Method. The overall strategy also includes expansion of Method’s capabilities in Pune, India.

Ed Ulbrich, president, Deluxe VFX and VR/AR for said, “We’ve been fans of Atomic Fiction’s work for a long time… When we started talking… we learned what a great culture they’ve built, and our vision for the business resonated with them as well.”

Tudhope will continue to lead the Montreal team creatively with the new title executive creative director, Method Studios, and Baillie will take on the new role of creative director and senior visual effects supervisor, Method Studios, and will continue to be based in San Francisco. Both will report to Ulbrich.

All of Atomic’s approximately 300 full-time and freelance employees are expected to join Method Studios when the transaction closes. Subject to closing conditions and regulatory approval, that is expected to occur in the third quarter of this year. Terms were not disclosed.