LEGO Marvel animation studio facing bankruptcy

The Canadian based animation studio behind LEGO Marvel Super Heroes: Maximum Overload is facing bankruptcy. ARC Studios has produced animation for the LEGO Group, Disney and Mattel among other companies. In 2011 ARC Studios produced the feature film Gnomeo and Juliet.

Despite expanding earlier this year, ARC Studios were not able to pay employees in the past seven days. Cartoon Brew shared the following from a letter to employees:

“We are still working diligently to find a solution that will allow us to pay outstanding wages due to you,” Murray wrote, “but, in the event that wages are not paid and the Receiver is appointed, there is a federal government program known as the Wager Earner Protection Program where employees of companies that have gone into receivership may be able to make a claim for unpaid wages, severance and vacation pay.” That program only pays up to $3,900 per individual.

The LEGO Group use a variety of animation studios for the TV series and specials based on the company’s properties including Wil Film, the production company behind LEGO Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures and Ninjago.