Owning The Mill gives TransPerfect what Wass described as “a unique global capability:” a solution that spans from ideation to production to delivery. The studio will continue focusing on short-form, long-form, and gaming projects while leveraging TransPerfect’s global scale and support systems.

“We’re having them focus on what they do best—creative—and we do the rest,” Wass said.

“We didn’t purchase The Mill with the intent to merge it with other companies and lay off people,” Shawe added. “We acquired The Mill to keep people at the center and bring technology, support, and global scale to the business.”

TransPerfect does, however, plan to integrate AI into The Mill’s workflows. 

“AI will have a presence in every part of our workflow,” Wass said. “But AI on its own cannot work. We’re very excited to have both an AI capability and human capability.”

Reviving a creative powerhouse

Founded in London in 1990, The Mill became one of the world’s premier visual effects and production studios, creating acclaimed work for brands such as Coca-Cola and Nike and contributing to films including Gladiator, which earned it an Academy Award, and the first two Harry Potter movies.

Technicolor acquired The Mill in 2015, adding it to a portfolio that included MPC, Mikros Animation, and Technicolor Games. 

But the financially troubled company was hit hard by the pandemic and Hollywood strikes. It hired a U.S. investment bank in 2024 to explore sale options, but no buyer materialized. 

Its abrupt downfall in February eliminated an estimated 6,000 jobs globally and sent shockwaves through Hollywood and the advertising industry.

The Mill’s former U.S. leadership team set up a new company, Arc Creative, in February immediately after Technicolor’s shutdown, hiring nearly 100 of The Mill’s 350 U.S. employees. Vancouver-based Thinkingbox also hired 30 ex-Mill U.S. staffers in April.