In March 1999 , Fox decided to sell VIFX to another visual effects house , Rhythm & Hues Studios , while Blue Sky Studios would remain under Fox . According to Chris Wedge , Fox considered selling Blue Sky as well by 2000 due to financial difficulties in the visual effects industry in general . Instead , Wedge , film producer Lori Forte , and animation executive Chris Meledandri presented Fox with a script for a comedy feature film titled '' Ice Age '' . Studio management pressured staff to sell their remaining shares and options to Fox on the promise of continued employment on feature-length films . The studio moved to White Plains NY and started production on '' Ice Age '' . As the film wrapped , Fox feared that it might bomb at the box office . They terminated half of the production staff and tried unsuccessfully to find a buyer for the film and the studio . Instead , '' Ice Age '' was released by 20th Century Fox on March 15 , 2002 , and was a critical and commercial success , receiving a nomination for an Academy Award for Best Animated Feature at the 75th Academy Awards in 2003 . The film established Blue Sky as the third studio , after Pixar and DreamWorks Animation , to launch a successful CGI franchise
75th Academy Awards
75th Academy Awards
Blue Sky Studios