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In James Gunn's "Superman," there's a small group of heroes — Green Lantern/Guy Gardner (Nathan Fillion), Hawkgirl (Isabela Merced), and Mister Terrific (Edi Gathegi) — called the Justice Gang. It's a running gag throughout the movie that no one really likes that name (except Guy). If the DC Universe keeps going, we have to guess a rebrand to the Justice League is inevitable, but at least the Justice Gang already has the right headquarters.

The group is funded by wealthy businessman Max Lord (Sean Gunn), who, in the "Justice League International" comics, was the League's sponsor. Lord's money means the Justice Gang has a large HQ, a whole Hall of Justice. If you're a DC fan from the "Super Friends" days, that name probably rings a bell.

A lot of "Superman" was filmed in Cleveland, Ohio, but the crew also went to a different part of the Buckeye State.

Godzilla’s triumphant return to the Marvel Universe is now upon us, as the first issue of Godzilla Destroys the Marvel Universe has arrived. Written by Gerry Duggan, who is known for his work on Deadpool and Nova, and illustrated by Javier Garron, the five-part Godzilla Destroys the Marvel Universe features the heroes and villains of the Marvel Universe joining forces to stop the King of the Monsters from destroying their world after the giant lizard emerges from his slumber and proceeds to topple everything in his path.

The official description of the comic from Marvel.com also teases that Godzilla will have a connection to Vibranium in the series, so we can expect Black Panther and the Nation of Wakanda to play central roles. Other characters who make appearances in the series include Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four, Captain America, Wolverine, Iron Man, and the Hulk. Therefore, it sounds like all...

Scooby-Doo is one of those shows that have continued to be remarkable even after all these years of their release, and the resurgence of the 23-year-old Scooby-Doo series, What’s New, Scooby-Doo?, on HBO Max is just one of the many proofs of its lasting impact.

Created by Sander Schwartz in 2002, it was the ninth incarnation of the popular animated franchise and followed a modernized version of the original series at the time. However, after a three-season run, it was canceled in 2006. And over two decades after its release, the animated series has now seen a revival, ranking among the Top 10 TV shows on HBO Max in the United States.

What’s New, Scooby-Doo? Climbs HBO’s U.S. Top 10 Streaming List

In the wake of Netflix’s live-action reboot of Scooby-Doo, a previous installment of the franchise, What’s New, Scooby-Doo? made a triumphant return to the spotlight, claiming the #10 spot on HBO Max’s U.

Exclusive: Warner Bros. Pictures will release Chinese co-produced animated feature Tom and Jerry: Forbidden Compass on August 9 in China.

The film is set to make its world premiere at the ongoing Shanghai International Film Festival.

Tom and Jerry: Forbidden Compass follows the iconic cat-and-mouse duo as they accidentally travel through time in a museum. Along their journey, they meet a group of intriguing new companions and become involved in a final showdown with mysterious forces.

Produced by Warner Bros. Pictures in China, Tom and Jerry: Forbidden Compass will be distributed in the country by Wu Zhou Film Distribution Co. Ltd.

Chinese director Zhang Gang helmed the project, after previously co-directing Kuiba 3.

Zhang also worked on the animation for No.7 Cherry Lane, which won the Best Screenplay Award in the main competition section at the Venice International Film Festival in 2019.

This is not the first time that Warner Bros. has adapted...

Cartoon Network Studios is expanding the beloved “Steven Universe” franchise with a brand-new series, “Steven Universe: Lars of the Stars,” now in development for Prime Video. The announcement was made Wednesday during the Warner Bros. Animation, Cartoon Network Studios and Hanna-Barbera Studios Europe showcase at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival by “Steven Universe” creator Rebecca Sugar.

After a very brief introduction from studio president Sam Register, the great and powerful – which featured a clip of him appearing as an Oz-like floating head surrounded by jets of flames – it was revealed “Teen Titans Go!”, the longest running animated series in DC history, has been renewed for a tenth season on Cartoon Network. The irreverent comedy, based on DC’s teen superhero team, continues to follow Robin, Starfire, Cyborg, Beast Boy and Raven as they juggle crimefighting with the absurdities of teenage life. Executive producers Luke Cormican, Peggy Regan and Sam...

While the theme song to I Love Lucy has no lyrics, anyone who’s ever caught an episode remembers the iconic script inscribing a heart resting on velvet, introducing Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz as the sitcom’s stars.

But if you were catching the show in the 1950s, the familiar heart wasn’t part of your I Love Lucy evening. In fact, that particular opening didn’t arrive until years later when the sitcom went into syndication. A curious viewer tuning into the initial episodes of I Love Lucy saw a very different way of opening the show.

In this version, animated stick figures of Ball and Arnaz dance atop a pack of Philip Morris cigarettes, a “special blend” promising pure tobacco refreshment. The cartoon was produced by William Hanna and Joseph Barbara, creators of Tom and Jerry and a host of other characters who’d become popular in the decades to come.

Few American animated shows have had the depth and breadth of the long-running Adult Swim series "The Venture Bros." The series, created by Jackson Publick and Doc Hammer, started as a riff on old Hanna Barbera shows like "Johnny Quest," following adult super-scientist Dr. Thaddeus "Rusty" Venture (James Urbaniak) as he tries to escape the shadow of his genius father and child stardom as a boy adventurer. Along with his bodyguard, the turbo-competent Brock Samson (Patrick Warburton), he's also trying to raise his sons, Hank (Chris McCulloch) and Dean (Michael Sinterniklaas), who are hilariously earnest and sweet and disaster-prone. They faced off against Rusty's nemesis, the Monarch (McCulloch), along with various other villains from the Guild of Calamitous Intent, for seven seasons before being pretty abruptly cancelled, leaving them with a pretty unsatisfying ending. 

In an interview with NPR, Hammer shared his feelings on the "ending" they were left with following the cancellation,...

A new Scooby Doo show from Netflix will mark the first time Scooby and pals will debut on the small screen in live action form.

Netflix has dished out a series order for a live action modern take on Scooby-Doo, the classic Hanna Barbera animation featuring most people’s favourite over-emotive dog and his detective pals.

While we’ve seen two live action films before, the chances of a third film in the series were scuppered by salary negotiations. Still, the evergreen tale of one stoner and his dog (along with a few friends) vanquishing a never-ending trail of masked villains seems to be one that we never tire of and so, yet another version of Scooby-Doo is heading to our screens.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, 'the modern reimagining is set during a final summer at camp. old friends Shaggy and Daphne get embroiled in a haunting mystery surrounding...

Scooby-Doo, where are you? The answer is, well, he's on his way to Netflix actually. Yes, 21 years after Mystery Incorporated's lovable Great Dane made his last live-action appearance in the heinously underrated, James Gunn penned Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed, Scoob and the gang — Fred, Daphne, Velma, and Shaggy of course — are set to solve a fresh set of mysteries in an all-new origin series for the streamer, created by Josh Appelbaum (From) and Scott Rosenberg (Jumanji: The Next Level).

Scoob and his mystery-solving human pals have been an iconic force in popular culture for over half a century at this point, with Hanna Barbera's original Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? dating all the way back to 1969 and an eye-watering 13 more toon shows and 43 animated films having followed in the years since. For this self-ascribed "modern reimagining" of the franchise however, it looks like Appelbaum and Rosenberg are looking to...

Veteran voice actor and comedian George Lowe, best known as the voice of Space Ghost on Space Ghost Coast to Coast, and many others, died Sunday, March 2, his representive confirmed to Deadline. He was 67.

His longtime friend “Marvelous Marvin” Boone paid tribute to Lowe on Facebook.

“I’m beyond devastated,” Boone wrote. “My Zobanian brother and best friend for over 40 years, George Lowe, has passed away after a long illness. A part of me had also died. He was a supremely talented Artist and Voice actor. A true warm hearted Genius. Funniest man on Earth too. I’ve stolen jokes from him for decades. He stole some of mine. He was also the voice of Space Ghost and so much more. Pweeloto.”

Born in Dunedin, Fl, Lowe got his first radio job with local station Wwjb at the age of 15. Lowe did occasional voice-over work for Tbws and Cartoon Network...

TV Legend: Itchy and Scratchy weren't based on Tom and Jerry, but on the more violent Knockoff of Tom and Jerry, Herman and Katnip.

This one is tricky, because the presence of Tom and Jerry is So dominant in any discussion about a cat and mouse cartoon that it would be difficult to say that anyone working on a cartoon involving a cat and mouse fighting wouldn't at least be keeping Tom and Jerry somewhere in the back of their heads. Like if you did something inspired by, say, the Golden Age Patsy Walker comic book series, you'd probably have to at least have in the back of your mind the influence of Archie, as well, right? That said, you Could honestly be inspired by Patsy Walker, I think, so I think that it could be reasonable to say that, even though Tom and Jerry will always be in the back of your mind,...

2025 is shaping up as a big year for James Gunn. The mastermind behind the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy and The Suicide Squad is about to debut Superman, his first film under the new Dcu he's spearheading with Peter Safran. It's likely to be the biggest movie of the year if the trailer's record-breaking viewership is any indication, introducing David Corenswet as Clark Kent and bringing the Man of Steel back to theaters for the first time since 2017's Justice League. If you're looking to catch up on Gunn's filmography before Supes takes flight again on July 11, Netflix subscribers will want to hurry to watch two cult classics he penned based on the iconic Hanna Barbera cartoon Scooby-Doo before they leave in March.

Jerry Eisenberg, the amiable animator known for his contributions to The Jetsons, The Peter Potamus Show, Wacky Races, Fangface, Spider-Man cartoons, Scooby-Doo movies and so much more, has died. He was 87.

A second-generation cartoonist, Eisenberg died Wednesday of natural causes at Providence Cedars-Sinai Tarzana Medical Center, his son, Derek Eisenberg, told The Hollywood Reporter.

Eisenberg spent more than two decades in two stints at the fabled animation house Hanna-Barbera Productions and worked for Ruby-Spears Productions, Marvel and other companies during his remarkable six-decade career.

At H-b, Eisenberg served as a layout artist on The Huckleberry Hound Show, Quick Draw McGraw, The Jetsons, The Flintstones, Jonny Quest, Wacky Races, The Banana Splits Adventure Hour, Motormouse and Autocat, The Peter Potamus Show and Josie and the Pussycats.

He also designed characters for Squiddly Diddly, The Secret Squirrel Show, The Magilla Gorilla Show, The Atom Ant Show, Super Friends and Hong Kong Phooey.

MeTV Toons has a treat to drop into everyone’s pic-a-nic basket.

MeTV’s seven-month-old offshoot dedicated exclusively to classic animation is getting read to launch “The House of Hanna-Barbera,” a weekday and Sunday-afternoon programming block showcasing characters sired by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera, including Yogi Bear, Huckleberry Hound, Secret Squirrel, Snagglepuss, Pixie and Dixie, Wally Gator, Touché Turtle, Magilla Gorilla, Atom Ant, Squiddly Diddly and others.

More from TVLineSuper Bowl Sunday: Here's Everything Airing Before and After the Big GameTVLine Items: Denise Richards Reality Series Premiere, Muhammad Ali's Parents Cast and MoreLove It or List It Renewed...

Is Tom and Jerry popular in Yemen? Is Tom and Jerry popular in Sierra Leone? One brave fan is about to find out.

Thanks to the title characters’ aversion to speaking, it’s no surprise that the classic comic and animation duo Tom and Jerry have no trouble breaking the language barrier and finding audiences outside the United States. In fact, the Tom and Jerry cartoons have been an international comedy phenomenon since the 1960s, and countless cultures have connected with the comically violent cat-and-mouse antics of William Hanna and Joseph Barbera’s flagship duo in the decades since.

Unfortunately, while the many internet Tom and Jerry historians have a general timeline of the cartoon’s release in major nations like the United Kingdom, Germany and Japan, there is not enough publicly available data that can definitively show just how much each of the world’s 195 recognized countries truly love Tom and Jerry.

Jack Nicholson made a rare photo appearance in his daughter Lorraine Nicholson’s recent holiday Instagram post. The shot reportedly marks the legendary actor’s first public photo since early 2023, as per The Hollywood Reporter.

Nicholson was last photographed in his happy place, courtside at a Los Angeles Lakers game he attended with his son. Nicholson has been a fixture at Lakers games for decades. The Easy Rider and One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest actor now appears in a photo with his daughter Lorraine, who posted a carousel of Instagram holiday pics. Jack and Lorraine are seen together in the Instagram post below, captioned: “the giving season.”

View this post on InstagramA post shared by Lorraine Nicholson (@lnicholson)

The photo appears to have been taken at Nicholson’s home. On the bookshelf in the background, two of Jack's Oscars can be seen along with several of the acclaimed...

Many robots are featured in cartoons and animated series. These characters are often faster, stronger, and smarter than their human counterparts. They may stand against danger, or they might cause it. That being said, robots aren't always the smartest in the bunch. The fun about robots is the many different creative ways that they appear. Fans often flock to robot characters due to the way they perceive and interact with their worlds.

Some iconic robots have been around for decades. Their popularity allows them to return to the small screen due to constant remakes or reboots of their original series. This is a testament to how loved they are, whether they are the heroes of their narratives, the villains, or fall somewhere in the morally ambiguous middle. Robots are always a great concept, especially as the modern world progresses into more advanced technology.

Updated by Alex Roush on December 22, 2024:...

Lea Salonga with the Sesame Street cast on the 1-2-3 Sesame Street Float at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on Thursday, November 28, 2024. (Photo by Peter Kramer for NBC Universal)

Warner Bros Discovery (Wbd) has opted not to renew its distribution agreement with the Sesame Workshop for new episodes of “Sesame Street,” which have been offered through its HBO multiplex network and streaming service Max for a few years.

The original deal dates back to 2016, when then-hbo Max became the exclusive home of new episodes of Sesame Street. The deal allowed long-time Sesame Street home PBS to air those episodes on its member stations a few months later, and allowed Wbd and Sesame Workshop to work together on other projects, including a kid-friendly talk show hosted by the muppet Elmo.

While Wbd is opting to not renew the output deal, it will continue to license episodes of Sesame Street...

As if to further cement the comical irony of Coyote vs. Acme being shelved, Warner Bros. Animation is looking to begin pre-production on a new iteration of Tom and Jerry. In an exclusive report from Deadline, Rashida Jones, Will McCormack, and Michael Govier have been set to write the script. The project is set to revive the iconic animated cat and mouse duo, previously attempted in the 2021 live-action hybrid film Tom and Jerry, which also starred Chloë Grace Moretz.

Originally created in the 1940s by animation titans William Hanna and Joseph Barbera at MGM, Tom and Jerry defined so many key aspects of cartoon slapstick humor. Hundreds of Tom and Jerry shorts have been created, with several going on to win Academy Awards for Best Animated Short Film. While there have been many iterations over the decades, several key qualities of Tom and Jerry have remained consistent, the most important...

Deadline reports that Warner Bros Pictures Animation is developing a brand-new Tom and Jerry movie, which will be written by Rashida Jones, Will McCormack, and Micahel Govier.

William Hanna and Joseph Barbera created the mischievous cat and mouse at MGM in 1940. Over the next two decades, they produced 114 shorts that won 7 Oscars. Others have revived the duo over the years with more shorts and a variety of TV shows. The characters most recently starred in the 2021 live-action/animated hybrid film Tom & Jerry, which received largely negative reviews and grossed $136 million worldwide.

Related Maestro: Bradley Cooper states his interest in Leonard Bernstein originated with cartoons

This new Tom and Jerry movie will be starting fresh, which, considering the reaction to the last movie, is probably a good thing. Our own Matt Rooney really didn’t care for the 2021 film. “The premise – Tom and Jerry run amok in a hotel – is...

Exclusive: Rashida Jones, Will McCormack and Michael Govier have been set to write Tom and Jerry, a feature that will be made under Bill Damaschke’s Warner Bros Pictures Animation.

They will be starting fresh on the new iteration of the misadventures of the cat Tom and mouse Jerry, hatched in 1940 by William Hanna & Joseph Barbera at MGM. Until MGM shuttered its animation division, they made 114 shorts that won 7 Oscars. Later versions came from Gene Deitch and Chuck Jones, and then others. The characters most recently toplined the 2021 hybrid film Tom & Jerry. While through the years it has been criticized for the sometimes violent ways the cat tries to trap the mouse and pays dearly for it, the venerable franchise has been an influence on many cartoon series including The Simpsons.

Through their prolific Le Train Train banner, Jones and McCormack work as writers, directors and producers with credits include Celeste and Jesse Forever,...

Recently, director James Gunn revealed that Krypto the Superdog will join the cast of Superman. As a lifelong Superman fan, this filled me with optimism. Superman is at his best when he's allowed to be an optimistic beacon of hope, and including Krypto demonstrates just how much Gunn understands that aspect of his character. After all, yes, it is nonsensical that Jor-El and Lara would send their toddler's dog to Earth with him. However, it is also fun.

I'll confess my bias; I grew up watching Krypto the Superdog, an animated series featuring a talking Krypto.

In this iteration, he has more in common with Superman; both leave Krypton as babies and reunite once older. It was produced by Alan Burnett and Pauld DIni, who worked on Batman: The Animated Series, but it had more in common with the older Hanna Barbera DC cartoons. Equally cheesy and heartwarming, the series...

Beginning in the 1950s, Hanna-Barbera emerged as one of the greatest creators of Saturday-morning cartoons of the 20th century, thanks to properties like Scooby-Doo, The Flintstones and The Jetsons. As the company continued to produce excellent and popular shows, it built up a strong, nostalgic reputation that has endured well into the 21st century, despite the company being defunct. Along the way, the best characters and shows of the company have been given some fun comic books.

Hanna-Barbera's properties come from two visionary creators, William Hanna and Joseph Barbera, whose unique style of animation dominated TV for close to two decades. From their legendary crossover shows to reinventions of their own characters, the company's IP continues to prosper today, through games, film, animation and comics - the latter of which are responsible for a slew of brilliant stories, especially in tandem with its sister company, DC Comics.

The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest...

Quick Links Putting a Very Dark Spin on Scooby-Doo and Mystery Inc. Can Scooby Apocalypse Actually Happen on the Small Screen?

Back in April, Variety reported that a new live-action Scooby-Doo series was possibly in the works over on Netflix and would be put together by the combined effort of Midnight Banner and Berlanti Productions. Those names should ring familiar as the former helped bring titles like 2018s Venom, 2014s The Amazing Spider-Man 2, and both live-action Tmnt movies to life. On the other hand, Berlanti crafted projects like Ryan Reynolds Free Guy, the entirety of CWs Arrowverse as well as the sports-based drama All American (another show on that network). Just a few examples from these studios prove that the classic Hanna Barbera cartoon is in good hands. But through which story directions will they present Scooby and the gang to streaming audiences? That is still a mystery.

As...

Quick Links DC Comics Invented the 'Shared Universe' In Animation Changes at Warner Bros. Meant DC Animation Couldn't Make Long-Term Plans The Tomorrowverse Animated Films Were Always Limited to 10 Installments The Tomorrowverse Had Potential to Be an Outstanding DC Animated Universe

The second era of DC Animated Movies began with Superman: Man of Tomorrow and ended with Justice League: Crisis On Infinite Earths - Part Three. The movies, dubbed the "Tomorrowverse" by fans, shared a continuity and introduced new versions of DC Comics' most famous characters. Yet, while previous shared continuities of animated films lasted for years, the Tomorrowverse completed its journey through the multiverse with 10 movies over four years. Why did it end so soon?

The classic DC Animated Universe ran from the early 1990s into the 2000s. Aside from a few standalone, "Elseworlds" films, the next series was the DC Animated Movie Universe, which ran from 2013 through 2020. The end of that story,...

Jonny Quest has been an icon for 60 years, with the new Dynamite series set to introduce him to a new generation. The latest issue, written by Joe Casey and drawn by Sebastian Piriz, delves into a mysterious and horrifying discovery. The creators of the new series embrace the original character design, catering to both old and new fans of Jonny Quest.

Warning: contains spoilers for Jonny Quest #1!

Fans have been thrilled by the exploits of Jonny Quest for 60 years, and Dynamites new ongoing series is poised to introduce the teen adventurer to a new generation. Dynamite signed a deal with Warner Brothers/Discovery to bring some of the biggest pop culture icons of all time to comics, and Jonny Quest #1 is another strong offering, accessible to fans both old and new.

Jonny Quest #1 was written by Joe Casey and drawn by Sebastian Piriz. Picking up where the Free Comic Book Day Special ended,...

In 1957, William Hanna and Joseph Barbera founded Hanna-Barbera, an animation company that quickly became the biggest name in Saturday-morning cartoons, thanks to franchises like Scooby-Doo. Covering a range of topics, styles, and genres, the company's original characters, as well as those they licensed, built up an impressive run of kids' entertainment, before eventually being bought up by Warner Brothers.

From adventure shows to superhero series, Hanna-Barbera's history remains one of the strongest in Saturday morning cartoons, despite the company being defunct. While some of the company's signature properties live on, others have needlessly been allowed to fade into obscurity. In an age where animation and nostalgia are both experiencing a golden age, some of the classic company's best hits need to make a comeback.

Jonny Quest Borrowed From Classic Adventure Serials

Years in Production

1964-1965

Episode Count

26

IMDb Rating

7.8

Jonny Quest follows the adventures of the titular kid and his companions; his scientist father,...

Greg Berlanti returns to his roots with a new Netflix series, drawing inspiration from his time working with Hanna-Barbera legends. Developing a modern Scooby-Doo project is all about capturing the essence and spirit of the iconic franchise for a new generation. Stay tuned for the upcoming Netflix series, as Berlanti and his team take their time crafting the perfect story for the greatest Dane in cartoon history.

Scooby-Doo is set to make a big return to live-action in a new Netflix series being developed by Arrowverse producer Greg Berlanti. While the producer has plenty of experience dealing with big IPs and iconic characters from his work on the interconnected DC universe, the recent reaction to the Max series Velma has proven that working on a modern Scooby-Doo project can be a tricky thing to navigate. However, in a new interview, Berlanti has laid out why the new series is in good hands,...

James Gunn's original R-rated Scooby-Doo script was rejected, resulting in many adjustments and cuts before the film's release. Changes made to the movie included toning down scary monsters and modifying relationships between characters for a more family-friendly version. Although an R-rated version may no longer exist, Scooby-Doo continues to evolve with new projects, including a live-action Netflix TV show.

James Gunn was already known for delivering some brutal and gory R-rated movies by the time he wrote the 2002 live-action version of Scooby-Doo, and even though the Great Danes adventure could have joined the list, fans will never get to see the different version of the movie that didn't hit cinemas.

Scooby Doo PGAdventureComedyFamilyMystery Where to Watch

*Availability in US

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Not available

Release Date June 14, 2002Director Raja GosnellCast Freddie Prinze Jr., Sarah Michelle Gellar, matthew lillard, Linda Cardellini, Rowan Atkinson, Isla FisherRuntime 88Main Genre AdventureWriters James Gunn, Craig Titley,...

The original cut of the live-action Scooby-Doo movie was rated R, resulting in some toning down to avoid the mature rating. For fans wanting to see the R-rated cut actually get released, writer James Gunn has shared an unfortunate update.

Apparently, the original cut of Scooby-Doo wasn't preserved and the footage has since been lost. On the social media platform Threads, Gunn was asked about the chances of the R-rated cut of Scooby-Doo getting released. In response, Gunn bluntly stated, "It no longer exists."

Related Matthew Lillard Celebrates Five Nights at Freddy's 2 News With Scooby-Doo Crossover

Matthew Lillard unites two of his iconic characters in honor of Five Nights at Freddy's 2 getting its release date.

Gunn confirmed back in 2017 that the film was originally given an R-rating, even sharing how one example of edits saw the digital removal of cleavage. However, Gunn doesn't look back at the project with any distaste.

Nickelodeon and Disney might come to mind when you think of great kids shows. After all, both networks have been producing programming for kids for decades.

Despite that fact, both companies have been under fire in recent years, particularly Nickelodeon, following the release of the Quiet on Set documentary.

Here is the perfect list if you want to expose your kids to some great shows that are not associated with either company.

Hanna-Barbera Classics (Various)

The Hanna-Barbera cartoons are classics that kids and adults of all ages can enjoy together. Many of them are geared toward children but include jokes to amuse adults.

Founded by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera in the late 1950s, Hanna-Barbera Productions produced 249 cartoon series between the 1950s and 1980s. Many of those have since become beloved classics.

A personal favorite of mine is Scooby Doo, and many fans share my love for the crime-solving dog and his Mystery Inc.

The Annecy International Animation Film Festival has become an increasingly important marketing opportunity for major U.S. studios to show off their upcoming animated offerings. This year, Warner Bros. Discovery companies are putting forth one of their strongest lineups to date.

Below, we break down the major highlights from this year’s Warner Bros. Animation, Cartoon Network Studios, and Hanna-Barbera Studios Europe lineups for this year’s Annecy Festival.

“The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim” – Filmmaker Conversation and Exclusive Extended Look

One of Warners’ biggest swings this year is its first animated feature adaptation of the “Lord of the Rings” franchise, which will debut in theaters on December 13. Annecy attendees who manage to snag one of the surely hard-to-get tickets to this presentation will catch an early look at the first publicly screened footage from the film, presented by Oscar winner Philippa Boyens (“The Lord of the Rings...

Scooby Doo and the Mystery Inc gang are heading back to the small screen in a live action series for Netflix, here are the details.

Jinkies: Netflix has ordered a live action Scooby Doo television series. No casting details have been confirmed, but we do know (thanks to a Deadline report) that it will be written by Josh Appelbaum and Scott Rosenberg – the same Scott Rosenberg who penned Con Air, one of the greatest action films of the 1990s.

This isn’t, of course, the first time Hanna Barbera’s cartoon has been reworked in live-action. Long before James Gunn took creative control of the DC Extended Universe, he was a prolific screenwriter, and arguably his most successful films, at the box office at least, were 2002’s Scooby Doo and 2004’s Scooby Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed.

The films brought the classic cartoon to life with a pitch perfect cast – Matthew Lillard...

Founded by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera in 1957, Hanna-Barbera was the dominant animation company for over three decades. Thanks to groundbreaking techniques that allowed them to make animation quickly and cheaply, the duo produced hundreds of cartoons for television audiences, including The Flintstones, the first cartoon to air in prime time. Unfortunately, the company couldn't survive changing times, and by now, all of its assets have been acquired by Warner Bros....

William Hanna and Joseph Barbera are two of the most important men in the world of animation. After spending decades working for MGM on the Tom & Jerry cartoons, they founded their studio, Hanna-Barbera, which came to dominate animation on television. Though they have been criticized for their limited animation styles, Hanna-Barbera pioneered many techniques for making animation cheap and efficient, paving the way for more impressive animated shows in the following decades.

Hanna-Barbera's iconic cartoon characters continue to be relevant in the 21st century, standing the test of time. The studio's unique blend of anthropomorphized animals and memorable human characters made for unforgettable cartoons. By combining their recognizable artistic style with great comedic writing, Hanna-Barbera created timeless characters that stand out from the crowd.

During their heyday, the Hanna-Barbera animation studio created some of the most popular cartoon characters of the 20th Century. William Hanna and Joseph Barbera first rose to fame when they created the iconic cat and mouse duo Tom and Jerry, but they went on to establish their own studio. Hanna-Barbera's best cartoons have stood the test of time, and they have inspired countless spinoffs and reboots. What's perhaps more impressive is that the original shows from the 1960s and 1970s still get played on TV today.

Hanna-Barbera's most memorable characters are still appearing in new shows in the 21st Century,...

Hanna-Barbera produced underrated shows due to output volume, leading to some forgotten characters and lack of originality. Shows like Jabberjaw, Butch Cassidy, and Captain Caveman had unique elements but were overshadowed by more popular series. Swat Kats, Birdman, and The 13 Ghosts of Scooby-Doo left lasting impacts despite being short-lived or underappreciated.

The Hanna-Barbera animation and production studio is known for series such as The Flintstones, but they also put out equally entertaining shows that have become underrated over the years. The studio, founded by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera, is recognized for its animated sitcoms and mystery series. Throughout their early years, Hanna-Barbera put out numerous shows, taking up much of the morning cartoon slots.

Due to their high output, it's easy for some shows to fall under the radar, despite their quality, and many Hanna-Barbera characters have been forgotten about because of this. Following the success of popular shows,...

Tom and Jerry hold the record for the most Oscar wins of any cartoon characters, with 7 wins in total. Disney's most iconic character, Mickey Mouse, has only won one Oscar out of cartoon short nominations. Tom and Jerry's record number of Oscar nominations and wins for their shorts has to do with studio competitors' wider variety of cartoon characters across their shorts.

Two cartoon icons hold an impressive Oscars record that even the biggest animated characters have ever managed to beat, including the Disney king himself, Mickey Mouse. Before the introduction of the Best Animated Feature category at the 2002 Oscars, only animated short films were regularly recognized at the Oscars via the Best Animated Short Film category, previously called Best Short Subject: Cartoon. Walt Disney won the first ten awards for Best Short Subject: Cartoon beginning in 1932 with Flowers and Trees and currently holds the record for the most...

December 12th marks what would have been Frank Sinatra's 108th birthday. Sinatra is unquestionably one of the twentieth century's greatest entertainers. One of the highest-selling musical artists of all time, Sinatra's record sales surpassed over 150 million. In the late 1990s, Time magazine included Sinatra on their list of the 100 most influential people of the twentieth century. Famed music critic Robert Christgau named Sinatra the best singer of the twentieth century.

However, a gravely underrated aspect of Sinatra's career is his acting prowess. Not only is Sinatra an icon of the music industry, but he is also one of Hollywood's premier stars. Many of Sinatra's finest performances rank among cinema's most memorable movie roles.

Anchors Aweigh Was Sinatra's First Role Of Prominence (1945)

Anchors Aweigh

A pair of sailors on leave try to help a movie extra become a singing star.

Release Date August 13, 1945 Director Joseph Barbera , William Hanna Cast Frank...

Warner Bros might finally be learning to undelete films following its Coyote Vs Acme debacle: now it should revisit its disastrous cull of Batgirl and Scoob! 2.

It’s been a difficult week for Warner Bros Discovery, in a year that’s not been shy of them. Not that filmmakers and film fans are offering much sympathy for the company, which is in danger of making a habit of canning completed films.

The story so far.

Following its 2022 decision to scrap both Batgirl and Scoob! 2: The Holiday Haunt, a pair of pretty much completed movies that collectively had cost over $120m to make, it threw the anvil last week on Coyote Vs Acme.

As film critic Robbie Collin wrote on whatever Twitter’s called now, “Why would anyone work for a studio that makes a habit of this?”

And that’s the problem. Doing it once? A nasty one-off. Twice?...

SpongeBob SquarePants, a beloved long-running animated show, has received new redesigns in multiple animation styles by artist @richietoons. The different styles, including Disney, The Loud House, and Rocko's Modern Life, offer unique representations of SpongeBob in various contexts. SpongeBob's style has evolved over its 24-year run, becoming more modern and childlike, but the changes have divided fans who miss the classic feel of the show.

The title character of SpongeBob SquarePants gets a new redesign in multiple different animation styles. Debuting in 1999, SpongeBob SquarePants is one of the most-beloved long-running animated shows on television. It is currently in the midst of season 14, with the next episode airing on November 21. SpongeBob SquarePants season 15 has also already been renewed at Nickelodeon, and it will coincide with the show's 25th anniversary.

Now, SpongeBob gets multiple new designs in original Instagram art from @richietoons. The artist images the eponymous character in nine different animated styles,...

Transformers has remained a massively successful franchise since it debuted in the 1980s, with its popularity continuing for decades since its debut. It's easily the most extensive "giant robot" property in the West, though it wasn't the only example of this genre back in the day. In fact, two particular rivals ended up taking each other out, allowing the robots in disguise to achieve dominance.

The biggest competitor to the throne of Transformers was Tonka's Gobots franchise, which has now become something of a punchline. Strangely enough, it would be instrumental in taking down another property that had a chance at becoming a major hit. For as forgotten as that show may now be, it was instrumental in helping to popularize anime and Japanese storytelling in animation.

Related: Transformers: The Aligned Continuity Was the Franchise's Most Ambitious Failure

What Was Mighty Orbots?

Running for the last four months of 1984, Mighty...

Scooby-Dooby-Doo, where are you? On our TV screens for more than five decades, that's where. Scooby-Doo's been a part of the pop culture lexicon for nearly all of those now 54 years. The 1960s were arguably Hanna Barbera's golden era, with The Flintstones, Yogi Bear, The Jetsons, Top Cat, Jonny Quest, Space Ghost, and Wacky Races among the most recognizable titles of the day. However, most other shows stayed confined to the '60s and '70s, only living on today in reruns. Some – notably The Flintstones – continued with spin-offs and movies, but there were often long hiatuses between projects.

As for Scooby-Doo, there's rarely been a hiatus lasting more than a few years. For the most part, it's aired continuously since its debut in the '60s. Nowadays, fans can usually count on at least one new movie per year. But what's the secret? How has the mystery-solving dog,...

Disney has embraced reimagining beloved animated movies, from The Lion King to the newest release of The Little Mermaid. Though these movies have been controversial, many of them have had exceptional success. However, live-action adaptions of cartoons have had far less attention in recent years.

Movies like Scooby-Doo (2002) and The Flintstones (1994) have become classic adaptions of beloved cartoons, despite a poor reception upon their release. These live-action films are harder to pull off compared to their cartoon counterparts because of the wider range of source material. However, some of these cartoon adaptations have succeeded in capturing the attention and admiration of fans.

Related: 15 Classic Cartoon Network Shows That Still Hold Up

Popeye (1980)

Originally a Thimble Theatre comic, Popeye became one of the most iconic cartoons from the 1930s. This show centered around the titular hero known for his strength due to eating excessive amounts of spinach. Much of the plotline...

Remember Velma? How could you not? To say that Max's adult-oriented take on Hanna Barbera's cash-cow was less than warmly-received would be a hilarious understatement. Arguably one of the most reviled shows in recent memory, Velma somehow turned Scooby-Doo into a show without Scooby-Doo, fitted with a cringe-worthy self-awareness, jokes that are overly-wordy, and a weirdly antagonistic view of those who enjoyed the original franchise. It was the talk of the town for a month or two, before quickly fading away in exchange for other nonsense.

But someone, somewhere, likes Velma enough to justify a renewal for a second season. Whether the series has genuine fans, or it thrives solely off of those who "hate-watch" it, remains to be seen. Likewise, whether the show will be affected by the ongoing writer's strike is also in question. But as season two enters production, it may be productive to figure out...

Chances are that if you're reading this, you're not part of the population that enjoyed Tom and Jerry during its prime. The franchise was created in 1940 by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera, and it ran for almost 30 years until more powerful media franchises took over the market. We understand the TV industry worked differently back in the day, but what many people don't know is that at some point this small and very basic show was up there alongside Disney's Silly Symphonies and Looney Tunes. Yes, it was that big.

However, it was through reruns and syndication that the show regained its popularity as decades went by. We were no longer in the golden age of American animation, but Tom and Jerry grabbed our attention every time they showed up on the small screen. It didn't matter if the short was one we had seen before, we would watch Tom get humiliated,...

Video game adaptations are awfully hot commodities right now. From The Super Mario Bros. Movie blowing up box offices to HBO's The Last of Us giving us a top-notch portrayal of one of the greatest games in recent memory. Even more surprisingly, the film adaptation of Scott Cawthon's Five Nights at Freddy's series has crawled its way out of production hell and finally has a 2023 release date alongside a cast list including Josh Hutcherson and Matthew Lillard. While the FNaF adaptation ping-ponged between seemingly endless roadblocks and hangups for eight years, a few studios and filmmakers decided that they could capitalize on the series' hype and potentially pack some fans into theaters and park them in front of TVs via streaming and VOD. Hanna Barbera's The Banana Splits movie comes to mind, but another project in 2019 would take a swing at the killer animatronic formula of Five Nights...

Warner Bros. Discovery’s streaming service Max saw its official launch this week, rolling out to users on Tuesday, May 23. It’s the culmination of efforts that began more than a year ago — before the merger of WarnerMedia and Discovery was even finalized. The new platform will attempt to be all things to all people, offering general entertainment as well as some of the best prestige TV available.

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One of the programming genres that will see an increased focus on Max will be kids and family shows. That may be somewhat surprising to those following the story since its inception, as Wbd CEO David Zaslav promised to “reexamine” the amount of content for kids on HBO Max last May. That reexamination led to over 200 episodes of “Sesame Street” being purged from the platform,...

William Denby Hanna and Joseph Roland Barbera first teamed up at MGM to produce Tom and Jerry. In 1957, they founded their own company, Hanna Barbera, and their innovation in limited animation allowed them to dominate cartoons on television. Though the studio was merged into Warner Bros. in 2001, many of its younger animators and writers went on to produce the original lineup for Cartoon Network.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 adds yet another comedic yet deeply emotional film into director and writer James Gunn's celebrated filmography, marking the end of an era for both the franchise and its creator. As Gunn prepares to launch his new DC Universe in the coming years, all eyes are on what the filmmaker's next moves will be.

Related: 10 Characters Who Can Lead The Next Guardians Of The Galaxy Team

With a filmmaking career that spans over twenty-five years, James Gunn has been at the helm of several beloved films that resonated with critics and audiences. Some of these films landed particularly well with users on the International Movie Database, ranking as the best projects in Gunn's career.

Scooby-Doo (2002) IMDb Rating – 5.2 (Rent/Purchase On Apple TV)

James Gunn may not have directed 2002's live-action Scooby-Doo film, but it was an integral part of his early filmmaking career. Gunn...