There have been significant changes brewing at Warner Bros over the last few months, which seemingly all started when Batgirl was unfairly given the axe, though it’s probably been bubbling under for quite some time. After months of various schedule shifts and show cancellations, the company announced it would merge with Discovery, which means even more changes are upon us. And the next one was just revealed: the death of its beloved animation channel Cartoon Network.
As a part of their “strategic realignment,” the WB laid off 82 animation employees this week, leaving 125 empty slots that will not be filled. As a part of the realignment, Warner Bros. Animation and Cartoon Network Studios will merge to become one, meaning the company will still technically exist. However, it’s unclear how much control over their content they will have.
After the new boss David Zaslav took over, he expressed his desire to rely on popular franchises instead of new and unique content, which is basically what Cartoon Network thrived on for years, churning out cult hits like Over the Garden Wall, We Bare Bears, and Steven Universe. The current Cartoon Network roster is available for streaming on HBO Max.
As of right now, there still seem to be employees at Cartoon Network and various projects in the works, so it looks like CN will still exist in its limited capacity…for now!
Re: CNS. I am not studio PR so I cannot and will not claim to represent the company. I just work here, along with a lot of incredibly talented people.
There’s a lot people don’t know, and a lot that’s unclear, so it’s best to wait for official clarifications and don’t assume.
— David DePasquale
Lightbox Expo 513 (@wolfinsheeps) October 12, 2022
With a lot of rumors regarding WDB restructuring going around, here’s what true:
– Cartoon Network Studios is not dead.
– The Cartoon Network channel is not shutting down anytime soon.
– Cartoon Network still has lots of projects in the works.— animatedplus (@animatedplus) October 12, 2022
It looks like only time will tell what will happen to the legendary animation studio when HBO Max and Discovery merge to become a single streamer next year. As far as cartoons in the HBO Max realm, we do know that Harley Quinn is safe, and for that we are grateful.
(Via Cartoon Brew and Variety)