Walt Disney Animation Studios (WDAS) is opening a new studio in Vancouver, Canada focused on long-form series for Disney+. Former VP of Pixar Canada and EVP of WildBrain Studios, Amir Nasrabadi (pictured) will lead the new office as head of Walt Disney Animation Studios, Vancouver.

Nasrabadi most recently served as EVP and general manager at WildBrain Studios in Vancouver, and previously oversaw Pixar Canada as VP and general manager. He also held senior leadership roles with Illumination and Paramount Animation.

Disney plans to open the studio in January 2022 and has begun recruiting talent, asking candidates to fill out an “expression of interest” application. In the coming months, it will look to fill layout, character TD, general TD, animation, look development, lighting, effects, technology and studio positions.

WDAS’s previously announced Moana series for Disney+, which is set for a 2024 release, will be the first project handled by the Vancouver studio. Osnat Shurer (Moana, Raya and the Last Dragon) is producing the series adaptation.

The Burbank studio will continue to lead all feature film productions, as well as shorter form series such as Baymax! and Zootopia+. Storyboarding, story development and production design for all projects will still be run out of Burbank.