iWorld
DNEG renews visual effects services agreement with Netflix
The leading technology-enabled visual effects and animation company, DNEG, has signed a multi-year agreement with Netflix. The agreement covers the provision of visual effects and virtual production services for Netflix series and feature programming.
This agreement extends and expands on a previous agreement that the companies signed back in September 2020 and creates a pipeline of Netflix programming work for DNEG through 2025.
The DNEG-Netflix agreement aligns DNEG’s scale and global footprint as one of the world’s largest content services companies with Netflix’s diverse programming slate. As part of the agreement, DNEG will build upon its existing award-winning Netflix work with a significant expansion of its premium VFX work, both domestic and abroad. DNEG’s redefine division will also supply VFX services and top-end creative supervision for select Netflix programming.
DNEG has previously delivered visual effects services for Netflix episodic series including Locke & Key seasons one and two, Shadow & Bone, The Irregulars, Cursed, Altered Carbon seasons one and two, Jupiter’s Legacy, Away, The Letter For The King, Black Mirror seasons four and five and The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance as well as a number of Netflix movies. DNEG won a Visual Effects Society Award for its work on Altered Carbon and a BAFTA TV Craft Award for its work on Black Mirror. ReDefine has delivered VFX for Netflix movies such as “The White Tiger”, “Mimi and Sweet Girl”, and is currently in production on the upcoming Adam Sandler movie, “Hustle”.
Commenting on this agreement, DNEG chairman and CEO Namit Malhotra said, “Netflix is the leader in the field of streaming content, and DNEG is at the forefront of VFX and virtual production services. This agreement is transformative for DNEG and creates the opportunity for further expansion of our global scale and further investment in DNEG’s industry-leading technology.”
He added, “The signing of this multi year agreement reflects the success of our partnership with Netflix to-date and validates DNEG’s strategic direction and worldwide growth initiatives.”
Malhotra continued, “This deal allows us to continue providing Netflix with the very highest levels of quality and service across its programming globally. I am proud of the long relationship DNEG enjoys with Netflix and our work on some of their most popular and critically acclaimed shows. To meet the strong demand for our services and drive even further growth, DNEG is looking to expand our capacity up to 40 per cent by year-end 2022.”
DNEG, which in recent years has won seven Academy Awards® for its visual effects work, including six of the last eight awards, is already working with Netflix on a number of projects in its upcoming slate, including the highly anticipated Stranger Things Season four; Rian Johnson’s Knives Out two; fantasy action-dramas The School for Good and Evil and Avatar: The Last Airbender; origin story The Witcher: Blood Origin; and upcoming fantasy comedy-adventure Slumberland for director Francis Lawrence. DNEG Animation is providing animation services for the much anticipated animated feature film Nimona, which will be released by Netflix in 2023.
iWorld
X launches XChat messaging app on iOS with calls and encryption
Standalone app marks shift from “everything app” vision, adds E2E messaging.
MUMBAI: From one big app to many small chats, X seems to be splitting its ambitions. X has rolled out its standalone messaging app, XChat, to iOS users, opening up a new front in its evolving product strategy. The app allows users to connect with existing X contacts through private and group messages, file sharing, as well as audio and video calls. The launch follows a limited beta phase, where the platform tested the product with a smaller user base to refine the experience. Now available publicly, XChat marks a notable pivot from earlier ambitions championed by Elon Musk to turn X into a single “everything app” combining messaging, payments, commerce and more.
Instead, the company under xAI ownership and backed by SpaceX appears to be building a suite of standalone applications, each targeting specific use cases while expanding its broader ecosystem.
At launch, XChat includes end-to-end encrypted messaging, PIN-based access, disappearing messages, and features such as message editing, deletion for all participants, and screenshot blocking. The company has also said the app is free from advertisements and tracking mechanisms, positioning it as a privacy-first alternative in a crowded messaging space.
However, security claims around the platform are likely to face scrutiny. Earlier iterations of XChat drew criticism from experts who argued it fell short of established encrypted platforms like Signal. With the wider rollout, the app is expected to undergo fresh evaluation to assess whether those concerns have been addressed.
Beyond messaging, XChat will also house X’s Communities feature, which is being discontinued on the main platform due to low usage and spam concerns. Migrating these users could provide an early boost to adoption, effectively turning XChat into both a communication and community hub.
The move underscores a broader recalibration at X less about cramming everything into one app, and more about spreading bets across multiple touchpoints, one message at a time.
