Netflix has announced plans to acquire Scanline VFX, the Munich-based VFX studio with locations in Vancouver and Montreal.

The global streamer has not disclosed financial details of the deal, which is still subject to regulatory approvals. It is expected to close in the first quarter of 2022.

The deal was announced in a blog post from Amy Reinhard, VP of studio operations, who wrote that Netflix will “invest in Scanline’s pipeline, infrastructure and workforce,” while the company will “continue to operate as a standalone business and work with a variety of clients.”

Scanline has approximately 600 employees in Canada between its Vancouver and Montreal operations, and an estimated 1,100 employees globally. The company opened its Montreal studio in 2018 and its Vancouver location in 2011.

The company was founded in Munich, Germany in 1989 and is led by Oscar-winning VFX supervisor Stephan Trojansky.

“From the interstellar landscape of Cowboy Bebop and the ravenous vampires of Blood Red Sky to the exploding underground reactor in Stranger Things [season three], we want to surprise and delight our members by pushing the boundaries of visual effects,” wrote Reinhard.

Image credit: Geoffrey Short/Netflix