Marvel Productions
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Television and film production |
| Founded | 1981 |
| Headquarters | Hollywood, Los Angeles, California , United States |
Area served | United States |
Key people | Margaret Loesch (President and CEO, 1984), Rick Ungar (President, 1992), Tom Tataranowicz (Head of Marvel Films Animation and New World Animation) |
| Products | Animated television programs, feature films, specials |
| Parent | Marvel Entertainment Group (originally), New World Entertainment, Fox Entertainment Group, The Walt Disney Company (current owner of most content) |
Marvel Productions Ltd., which was later rebranded as New World Animation, was an American production company established in 1981 as the television and film division of the Marvel Entertainment Group. Its headquarters were located in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California. The company eventually became part of New World Entertainment and later was integrated into News Corporation's Fox Entertainment Group.
Focusing primarily on animated television programs, feature films, and specials, Marvel Productions was responsible for creating well-known projects such as Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends, The Incredible Hulk, My Little Pony: The Movie, The Transformers: The Movie, and G.I. Joe: The Movie. Its lineup of TV shows featured popular series including The Transformers, Muppet Babies, and G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero.
Currently, the majority of Marvel Productions/New World Animation’s content not related to Hasbro is owned by The Walt Disney Company.
DePatie–Freleng Enterprises (1963–1981)
The origins of the company trace back to 1963 with the founding of DePatie–Freleng Enterprises (DFE Films). In 1981, Cadence Industries, which owned Marvel Comics Group, acquired the company following co-founder Friz Freleng’s departure to rejoin Warner Bros. Animation. David H. DePatie, who co-founded the company alongside Freleng, continued working under Marvel’s ownership until he retired.
Marvel Productions (1981–1993)
Marvel Productions opened its studio in Los Angeles in 1981. By 1984, Margaret Loesch had taken on the roles of president and CEO. In 1986, Cadence Industries sold both Marvel Comics Group and Marvel Productions to New World Pictures, resulting in the creation of Marvel Entertainment Group (MEG).
Due to financial difficulties, New World sold MEG in January 1989 to Andrews Group—a MacAndrews & Forbes subsidiary controlled by Ronald Perelman—while retaining Marvel Productions. The studio was merged with New World’s television division and relocated to West Los Angeles in May 1989.
Later that year, financial challenges led to New World being acquired by Andrews Group. Loesch left the company in 1990 to join Fox Kids. In December 1992, New World launched two new subsidiaries—New World Family Filmworks and New World Action Animation—under Marvel Productions president Rick Ungar’s leadership, aiming to produce $20 million worth of family-oriented entertainment content.
New World Animation (1993–1996)
In November 1993, Marvel Productions underwent a rebranding to become New World Animation. The following year, Marvel and New World collaborated to form Marvel Films, which included Marvel Films Animation. During this time, New World Animation produced series like The Incredible Hulk, while Saban Entertainment handled X-Men, and Marvel Films Animation developed Spider-Man. Leadership for both Marvel Films Animation and New World Animation was provided by Tom Tataranowicz.
News Corporation Acquisition (1996)
In August 1996, News Corporation and Fox Entertainment Group completed the purchase of New World Entertainment, which included New World Animation and Marvel Films Animation, for a total of $2.5 billion. At the same time, Saban Entertainment obtained character rights from Marvel Entertainment Group for figures like Captain America, Daredevil, and Silver Surfer, with plans to produce four series comprising 52 episodes over a seven-year period.
Later that year in November 1996, Fox Children's Productions and Saban Entertainment combined forces to create Fox Kids Worldwide, a joint venture and holding company. Despite this merger, Fox maintained ownership of New World Animation.
Subsequent Developments
In July 2001, The Walt Disney Company acquired Fox Family Worldwide along with its assets, including the Marvel Productions library and Saban Entertainment, for $5.2 billion. Following the receipt of its 2002 profit participation reports, Marvel Enterprises initiated legal action against Disney in August 2004 concerning unpaid royalties. Marvel further contended that the acquisition of Fox Family did not transfer copyrights without their consent, accusing Disney of concealing income and neglecting to capitalize on character properties.
On August 31, 2009, Disney completed the acquisition of Marvel Entertainment for $4 billion, reuniting the Marvel Productions catalog with Marvel Entertainment under a single corporate entity. After Disney’s purchase of 21st Century Fox in March 2019, the Marvel Productions library merged with Fox Kids/Saban Entertainment and New World Animation libraries, consolidating significant content assets.
Animated Series
Biker Mice from Mars1993–1996SyndicationCreated under New World Animation label; distributed globally by New World, domestically via Genesis Entertainment; co-produced with Brentwood Television Funnies and Philippine Animation StudiosThe Incredible Hulk (1996 TV series)1996UPNSeason one co-produced with Marvel Films and Saerom Animation| Title | Year(s) | Broadcast Network | Remarks | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spider-Man | 1981 | Syndication | Property of Marvel | |||
| Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends | 1981–1983 | NBC | Marvel property; aired alongside The Incredible Hulk | |||
| The Incredible Hulk | 1982 | NBC | Marvel property; paired with Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends | |||
| Meatballs & Spaghetti | CBS | Co-produced with InterMedia Entertainment Company and MGM/UA Television | ||||
| Pandamonium | CBS | Collaborated production with InterMedia Entertainment Company and MGM/UA Television | ||||
| Dungeons & Dragons | 1983–1985 | Co-produced with TSR Entertainment; currently co-owned by Disney and Hasbro Entertainment | ||||
| G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero | 1983–1986 | Syndication | Based on Hasbro toyline; co-produced alongside Sunbow Productions | |||
| Muppet Babies | 1984–1991 | CBS | Derived from Jim Henson's Muppets franchise | |||
| The Transformers | 1984–1987 | Syndication | Hasbro toyline adaptation; co-produced with Sunbow Productions | |||
| Little Muppet Monsters | 1985 | CBS | Jim Henson's Muppets-based; co-produced with Henson Associates | |||
| 'Super Sunday' (also known as Super Saturday) | Syndication | Hasbro toyline-based productions; co-produced with Sunbow Productions | ||||
| The Young Astronauts | 1986 | CBS | 'Licensed from Young Astronaut Council; a comic adaptation was planned by Marvel Comics but cancelled due to litigation after the Challenger disaster settled in 1990' | |||
| 'Jem and the Holograms' | '1986–1987' | 'Syndication' | 'Based on Hasbro toys; co-produced with Sunbow Productions' | |||
| 'Inhumanoids' | '1986–1987' | 'Syndication' | 'Hasbro toyline-based; co-produced with Sunbow Productions' | |||
| 'My Little Pony 'n Friends' | '1986–1987' | 'Syndication' | 'Adapted from Hasbro toys; co-produced with Sunbow Productions; includes wheel series segments' | |||
| 'Defenders of the Earth' | '1986–1987' | 'Syndication' | 'Co-production involving King Features Syndicate' | |||
| 'Fraggle Rock: The Animated Series' | '1987' | 'NBC' | 'Based on Fraggle Rock' | |||
| 'Little Wizards' | '1987' | 'ABC' | 'Co-produced with New World International' | |||
| 'The Little Clowns of Happytown' | '1987' | 'ABC' | 'Produced in partnership with Murakami-Wolf-Swenson; currently owned by WildBrain' | |||
| 'Dino-Riders' | '1988' | 'Syndication' | 'Co-production with Tyco Toys; featured in Marvel Action Universe programming block' | |||
| 'RoboCop' | '1988' | 'Syndication' | 'Produced alongside Orion Pictures; part of Marvel Action Universe block' | |||
| 'Rude Dog and the Dweebs' | '1989' | - | 'X-Men: Pryde of the X-Men' | '1989' | 'Syndication' | 'Pilot episode aired within Marvel Action Universe block as a potential X-Men series launch' |
| 'Attack of the Killer Tomatoes' | '1990–1991' | 'FOX' | 'Co-produced with Fox Children's Productions' | |||
| 'Kid 'n Play' | '1990–1991' | 'NBC' | 'Joint production with Saban Entertainment' | |||
| 'Space Cats' | '1991–1992' | 'NBC' | 'Produced in collaboration with Paul Fusco Productions' | |||
| 'Bucky O'Hare and the Toad Wars!' | '1991' | 'U.S. Syndication' | 'Co-production involving Abrams/Gentile Entertainment, Continuity Comics, IDDH, and Sunbow Productions' | |||
| 'Little Shop' | '1991' | 'Fox' | 'Produced alongside Saban Entertainment and international partners' |
- Stealth Warriors, an original animated project launched in 1993 by former Marvel executive Rick Ungar.
Television Specials
| Date Aired | Title | Network | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| February 14, 1981 | Pink at First Sight | ABC | "Production rights inherited from DePatie–Freleng Enterprises" |
| May 20, 1982 | The Grinch Grinches the Cat in the Hat | "Production inherited from DePatie–Freleng Enterprises, co-produced with Dr. Seuss" | |
| October 25, 1983 | The Charmkins | "Syndication" | "Based on Hasbro toyline" |
| April 14, 1984 | "My Little Pony: Rescue at Midnight Castle" | "Syndication" | "" |
| September 12, 1984 | "The Secret World of the Very Young" | "CBS" | "Co-produced with Sunbow Productions" |
| March 23, 1985 | "My Little Pony: Escape from Catrina" | "Syndication" | "Adapted from Hasbro toys" |
| 1987 | "Blondie and Dagwood" | "CBS" | "Produced jointly with King Features Syndicate" |
| 1989 | "Blondie and Dagwood: Second Wedding Workout" | "CBS" | "" |
| 1993 | "The Magic Paintbrush" | "CBS" | "Primetime special sponsored by McDonald's" |
| November 28, 1996 | "Party Town Friends" | "Syndication" | "" |
Ownership rights for programs based on Jim Henson creations (excluding Fraggle Rock) now reside with The Muppets Studio, a division of The Walt Disney Company. Series derived from Hasbro properties were developed jointly with Sunbow Productions and are presently owned by Hasbro's entertainment division.
Feature-Length and Direct-to-Video Films
| Release Date | Film Title | Production Studio | Additional Information |
|---|---|---|---|
| November 28, 1984 | "Gallavants" | "Direct-to-video release" | |
| June 20, 1986 | "My Little Pony: The Movie"
rowspan="3" |Sunbow Productions |
"Released theatrically" | |
| August 8, 1986 | "The Transformers: The Movie" | "Released theatrically" | |
| April 20, 1987 | "G.I. Joe: The Movie" | "Direct-to-video release; originally intended for theatrical distribution" | |
| January 1993 | "'Gahan Wilson's Diner'" | "" | "Short theatrical film" |
Additional Film Titles
- Trail of the Pink Panther (1982) (rights acquired from DePatie–Freleng Enterprises)
- Curse of the Pink Panther (1983) (rights inherited from DePatie–Freleng Enterprises)
TV pilots
| Title | Year of original airing | Network |
|---|---|---|
| Solarman | 1988 | Syndicated |
| X-Men: Pryde of the X-Men | 1989 |
Executives
- David H. DePatie – served as president and CEO from 1980 to 1984
- Margaret Loesch – held the position of president and CEO between 1984 and 1990
- Rick Ungar – president and CEO from 1991 until August 1995
- Lee Gunther – senior vice president of production in 1986
- Stan Lee – vice president responsible for creative affairs in 1986
- Michael Wahl – vice president overseeing business affairs in 1986
- Peter Knepper – vice president and chief financial officer during 1986
- Hank Sarovan – vice president in the year 1986
External links
- Articles with short description
- Marvel Productions
- 1981 establishments in California
- 1996 disestablishments in California
- American companies established in 1981
- American companies disestablished in 1996
- American animation studios
- Companies based in Los Angeles
- Defunct film and television production companies of the United States
- Marvel Comics animation
- Marvel Entertainment
- Mass media companies disestablished in 1996
- Mass media companies established in 1981
- Companies of the United States by year of establishment
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