Lucasfilm's studio in Singapore, the studio behind the animated series "Star Wars: The Clone Wars", will be "winding down" due to "economic factors affecting the industry", said Lucasfilm's parent company, Disney.

Speaking to CNA on Aug. 15, Disney shared that Lucasfilm's visual effects and animation studio, Industrial Light & Magic (ILM), would be "consolidating its global footprint" over the next few months.

ILM currently has over 300 employees in Singapore, CNA reported.

"ILM is giving employees as much notice as possible and offering opportunities to relocate to one of the company's growing studios," Disney stated.

ILM will also be "working with the local business community in Singapore" to hold a job fair for companies that need talent with similar skill sets.

An ILM staff told CNA that there are 340 employees in the company, and they will continue working until the end of 2023.

Joint statement by IMDA and EDB

A joint statement by the Economic Development Board (EDB) and Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) noted the decision to shut down the Singapore studio "is in response to changes in the industry and business conditions".

"The global media industry is facing disruption from technological advancements, while studios are coping with challenges relating to talent and profitability", the statement wrote.

The agencies stated:

"Our Singaporean talent have worked alongside and learned from experienced producers, enabling them to develop their skills and play on the world stage. We are proud that Singaporeans have worked on Hollywood blockbusters such as 'Jurassic World: Dominion' and 'Marvel’s The Eternals'."

Additionally, Singapore remains a "valuable and attractive hub" for global media companies.

EDB and IMDA shared that Lucasfilm and the relevant government agencies are assisting affected employees to find jobs in other companies.

"The technical and creative skillsets of these employees - who are trained across roles such as designers, tech engineers and tech support staff - continue to be in high demand, both within the broader media industry and also in other industries that are going digital," IMDA and EDB added.

"Employees will also be given retraining and upskilling opportunities to ensure that they have the right skills to take on roles in a variety of emerging areas across media and creative industries."

Movies Lucasfilm Singapore worked on

According to the EDB, the Lucasfilm studio in Singapore has worked not only on "Star Wars: The Clone Wars", but has contributed to films like "Transformers", "Iron Man", "Jurassic World", and other "Star Wars" films like "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" and "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story".

The team from ILM also worked on "Transformers the Ride", a theme park attraction at Universal Studios Singapore and Hollywood.

First international studio beyond the U.S.

ILM opened its first international studio in Singapore in 2006.

The Singapore studio was a full-service effects and animation studio responsible for delivering complete shots and sequences on Hollywood films and regional projects.

It resides in the Sandcrawler building in Fusionopolis, which also houses Disney's Southeast Asia offices.

ILM also has studios in San Francisco, Vancouver, London, Sydney and Mumbai.

Top photos via Lucasfilm website & IMDB