WarnerMedia Resurrects Legendary Hanna-Barbera Name for EMEA Studio

WarnerMedia is revitalizing one of the most storied names in animation history, establishing Hanna-Barbera Studios Europe (previously Cartoon Network Studios Europe, operating from Great Marlborough Productions) as its flagship television animation studio within EMEA. The new studio name was announced today by Tom Ascheim, President, Warner Bros. Global Kids, Young Adults and Classics (GKYAC). Sam Register, President of Warner Bros. Animation (WBA) and Cartoon Network Studios (CNS), and Vanessa Brookman, Head of Kids EMEA, will co-lead the London-based studio.

Tom Ascheim said: “Earlier this year, we aligned two of the industry’s most powerful animation studios in Warner Bros. Animation and Cartoon Network Studios and their collaboration is already yielding some very exciting results. Now with Hanna-Barbera Studios Europe, these three brands represent some of the most talented artists, iconic characters, and properties in the entire history of animation, making us more than formidable in the increasingly competitive global media landscape.”

The original studio, Hanna-Barbera Productions, was founded in 1957 by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera and became the first studio to have significant success with television animation. Many of the artistic styles, story-telling devices, production techniques, and sound effects the studio pioneered more than 60 years ago are still used today. Hundreds of iconic characters were created by the studio, including Scooby-Doo, The Flintstones, The Jetsons, Yogi Bear, and more.

Alongside industry leaders WBA and CNS, Hanna-Barbera Studios Europe will further WarnerMedia’s global kids content strategy. Combining the tremendous creative talents of the animation community in the UK and across EMEA with the expertise and resources of the overall studios group, Hanna-Barbera Studios Europe is poised to be a unique entity in the world of animation. The studio will build on its award-winning pipeline of local productions including The Amazing World of Gumball, The Heroic Quest of the Valiant Prince Ivandoe, and Elliott from Earth while seeking out new production opportunities. The studio will focus on developing and producing new originals while embodying the spirit of its beloved library of characters, embracing the same high-quality, whimsical, and classic look that enchanted Hanna-Barbera’s audiences for decades.

The studio is currently in development on The Amazing World of Gumball Movie (wt) – the upcoming feature-length TV movie based on the hit Cartoon Network series The Amazing World of Gumball, which follows the hilarious misadventures of Gumball Watterson and his goldfish best friend, Darwin.

Sam Register said: “There are few names in the animation industry that elicit such reverence and joy as Hanna-Barbera. Saturday mornings and series animation would not be the same without the work that came out of that studio and, as television is once again evolving, it’s only fitting that Hanna-Barbera returns to be an impactful part of it. I cannot wait to get started and I’m humbled at the opportunity to be creating cartoons under this banner again.”

Vanessa Brookman added: “It is an enormous privilege to be expanding our EMEA studio in the name of one of the most prestigious and beloved brands in animation history. Sam and I share an ambitious vision for growing our European pipeline of content, fueled by the talented team behind the award-winning success of our existing productions across the region. We look forward to bringing our kids and family audiences around the world even more exceptional content as we start this new chapter in our global animation strategy.”