Warner Bros. Pictures Animation
| File:Warner Bros. Pictures Animation logo.svg Logo used since 2023 rebranding | |
| Company type | Division |
|---|---|
| Industry | Animation, Film production |
| Predecessor | Warner Bros. Feature Animation |
| Founded | January 7, 2013 |
| Founder | Jeff Robinov |
| Headquarters | Burbank, California , United States |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | Bill Damaschke (President), Michael De Luca (Co-CEO), Pamela Abdy (Co-CEO) |
| Products | Animated feature films |
| Parent | Warner Bros. Pictures (Warner Bros. Discovery) |
| Website | www |
Warner Bros. Pictures Animation (WBPA), previously known as Warner Animation Group (WAG), serves as the American animated feature film division of Warner Bros. Pictures. Established in January 2013, it succeeded Warner Bros. Feature Animation, which operated from 1994 to 2004. WBPA functions alongside Warner Bros. Animation within the company's theatrical film production and distribution sector.
Since its inception, WBPA has released 10 feature-length films, starting with The Lego Movie in 2014 and most recently DC League of Super-Pets in 2022. Collectively, these films have generated over $2 billion globally.
History
On January 7, 2013, Jeff Robinov founded the studio as a creative hub focused on screenplay development, with the goal of rivaling leading animation studios. Early contributors included John Requa, Glenn Ficarra, Nicholas Stoller, Jared Stern, as well as Phil Lord and Christopher Miller.
The studio’s inaugural release, The Lego Movie (2014), animated by Animal Logic, received critical acclaim and box-office success, leading to a franchise that included spin-offs such as The Lego Batman Movie and The Lego Ninjago Movie (both released in 2017), followed by a sequel in 2019. While The Lego Batman Movie achieved strong financial results, both Ninjago and the sequel fell short commercially, marking WAG’s initial financial setbacks.
WAG’s sophomore project, Storks (2016), was met with mixed critical reception. In December 2017, Allison Abbate was appointed Executive Vice President, with Chris Leahy joining as Senior Vice President.
The 2018 release Smallfoot was well-received critically and performed solidly at the box office. In October 2019, Locksmith Animation entered into a multi-year production partnership with Warner Bros. Pictures and WAG for distribution purposes.
Originally slated for a theatrical release in May 2020, the animated reboot Scoob! moved to video-on-demand due to the COVID-19 pandemic and garnered mixed reviews.
A hybrid live-action/animated Tom & Jerry film debuted in February 2021 across theaters and HBO Max, introducing WBPA’s refreshed logo; however, it was generally met with unfavorable critiques.
Released in 2021, Space Jam: A New Legacy, featuring LeBron James and blending traditional animation elements, faced criticism largely due to extensive WarnerMedia product placement.
DC League of Super-Pets (2022) was released to mostly positive critical feedback.
A Christmas-themed prequel spin-off titled Scoob! Holiday Haunt, intended for HBO Max, was cancelled in August 2022 following the WarnerMedia-Discovery merger amid cost reductions and a strategic shift emphasizing theatrical releases. Although completed later that year, the project was shelved and utilized as a tax write-off.
Subsequent to the merger, Allison Abbate exited the studio in August 2022.
In early 2023, Bill Damaschke—formerly chief creative officer at DreamWorks Animation—entered negotiations to lead the studio; his appointment was confirmed in May during a Warner Bros. Discovery earnings call. Collaborating with co-CEOs Michael De Luca and Pamela Abdy, Damaschke is spearheading development of a new slate of films. By June 2023, the division underwent rebranding as Warner Bros. Pictures Animation under Damaschke’s leadership to align creatively with Abdy and De Luca’s vision.
Upcoming projects
In August 2018, the studio initiated work on a live-action/animation hybrid film featuring Looney Tunes icons Wile E. Coyote, titled Coyote vs. Acme. Helmed by director Dave Green with a screenplay by Samy Burch, and produced by Chris DeFaria alongside James Gunn, the movie was originally slated for release on July 21, 2023. However, it was replaced by Greta Gerwig's Barbie in the schedule. In November 2023, the parent company Warner Bros. Discovery decided to shelve the finished film, opting for a tax write-off. After public and industry criticism, Green and his team were granted permission to seek new distributors, drawing interest from Netflix, Amazon MGM Studios, Paramount Pictures, and Apple Studios. Despite several failed negotiations, the film remained without a home until March 2025, when Ketchup Entertainment secured global rights, targeting a 2026 release. At the July 2025 San Diego Comic-Con, it was confirmed that the film would premiere worldwide on August 28, 2026.
In January 2018, the studio entered into a strategic alliance with Dr. Seuss Enterprises to develop musical adaptations of Seuss' literary works. The initial project is a rendition of The Cat in the Hat, written and directed by Alessandro Carloni and Erica Rivinoja, featuring Bill Hader. This film is set to debut on November 6, 2026. Additionally, a spin-off centered on Thing One and Thing Two is underway.
Following its June 2023 rebranding as WBPA, the studio inked a first-look agreement with British company Locksmith Animation. The inaugural film from this collaboration is the musical-comedy Bad Fairies, directed by Megan Nicole Dong with a screenplay by Deborah Frances-White, scheduled for release on May 21, 2027.
A holiday-themed movie titled Margie Claus, starring and produced by Melissa McCarthy through her On the Day Productions, alongside Ben Falcone and Pilar Flynn, is planned for November 5, 2027. Falcone co-authored the script with Damon Jones; this project was initially developed as a live-action feature at New Line Cinema.
The second Dr. Seuss adaptation, Oh, the Places You'll Go!, is set for March 17, 2028. Directed by Jon M. Chu and Jill Culton, with a screenplay by Rob Lieber, it is produced by J.J. Abrams' Bad Robot Productions alongside Gregg Taylor.
In partnership with sister company DC Studios and puppet animation studio Swaybox, WBPA is creating Dynamic Duo, directed by Arthur Mintz and scripted by Matthew Aldrich. This origin tale of characters Dick Grayson (Nightwing) and Jason Todd (Red Hood) integrates animation, puppetry, and CGI; it is scheduled for June 30, 2028.
A feature-length film based on Hello Kitty will be released on July 21, 2028, produced in collaboration with sister company New Line Cinema, Sanrio, and FlynnPictureCo.
As part of the Locksmith Animation partnership, an adaptation of Marissa Meyer's fantasy series The Lunar Chronicles is progressing. Directed by Noëlle Raffaele from a script by Kalen Egan and Travis Sentell, it is slated for November 3, 2028.
Announced alongside WBPA's rebranding was Meet the Flintstones, an origin story for Hanna-Barbera’s characters. The film is directed by Todd Wilderman and Hamish Grieve with a screenplay penned by Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic (who directed Illumination's The Super Mario Bros. Movie).
In April 2024, a photorealistic animated adaptation of Animal Planet's Meerkat Manor was revealed. Produced by Seth Green and Tracy Falco, with series creator Caroline Hawkins and Clare Birks serving as executive producers.
A confidential project based on Looney Tunes is currently in development with directors Todd Wilderman and Hamish Grieve attached.
An animated feature adaptation of Emily the Strange is underway with Pamela Ribon writing; Bad Robot co-produces alongside executive producers Rob Reger (the original creator) and Trevor Duke-Moretz.
A new Tom and Jerry feature film is in development, featuring a script from Rashida Jones, Will McCormack, and Michael Govier.
Process
Similar to Paramount Animation and Sony Pictures Animation, Warner Bros. Pictures Animation contracts out the production of computer-animated movies to various external studios including Animal Logic (known for the The Lego Movie series, DC League of Super-Pets, and Toto), Sony Pictures Imageworks (which worked on Storks and Smallfoot), Reel FX Creative Studios (producer of Scoob!), Framestore (responsible for Tom & Jerry), and Industrial Light & Magic (involved with Space Jam: A New Legacy). The production of Space Jam: A New Legacy also incorporated hand-drawn animation, created both internally and through partnerships with Company 3 Animation and Tonic DNA.
Budgets for these films generally fall between $60 million and $80 million, with the highest expenditures seen in titles such as The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part ($99 million), Scoob! ($90 million), Space Jam: A New Legacy ($150 million), and DC League of Super-Pets ($90 million).
The screenwriting team functions in a manner akin to the "brain trust" at Pixar Animation Studios, where members collaborate by offering critiques and guidance on projects. This collective is informally referred to as the "think tank."
Franchises
| Title | Films | Short films | Release dates |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Lego Movie | 4 | 11 | 2014–2019 |
| DC | 2 | 0 | 2017–present |
| Tom & Jerry | 1 | 2021–present | |
| Looney Tunes | 2021–present |
See also
- Warner Bros. Animation
- Cartoon Network Studios
- Williams Street
- Hanna-Barbera
- Hanna-Barbera Studios Europe
- Warner Bros. Cartoons
- List of Warner Bros. theatrical animated feature films