Warner Bros. Animation
One of the most historically significant animation studios in the world, home to Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, and the Looney Tunes. Produces animated features and series as part of Warner Bros. Discovery.
Overview
Warner Bros. Animation is one of the most historically significant and commercially active animation studios in the world. Best known for the Looney Tunes characters created in the 1930s and 1940s, the studio has evolved through multiple eras of animation history and continues to produce animated features and series as part of Warner Bros. Discovery. The studio's characters, including Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Tweety, Sylvester, Elmer Fudd, and dozens of others, are among the most recognized animated characters in global popular culture.
The studio operates from Burbank, California, and produces animated content for theatrical release, Max streaming, television, and home entertainment.
History
Warner Bros.' animation department was established in 1933 under Leon Schlesinger. The studio developed its distinctive style through the 1930s under directors Tex Avery, Chuck Jones, Bob Clampett, and Friz Freleng. Unlike Disney's more sentimentalized approach, Warner Bros. cartoons were faster, more anarchic, more self-referential, and more attuned to adult comic sensibilities alongside their appeal to children.
The Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies short film series produced between 1930 and 1969 represent one of the most creative periods in animation history. Chuck Jones's shorts in particular, including What's Opera, Doc? (1957), Duck Amuck (1953), and One Froggy Evening (1955), are regularly cited among the greatest animated films ever made.
The studio's theatrical shorts operation wound down in the late 1960s, and Warner Bros. Animation shifted to television production. The unit produced Tiny Toon Adventures (1990), Batman: The Animated Series (1992, which redefined DC animation), Animaniacs (1993), Pinky and the Brain (1995), and many other acclaimed series through the 1990s.
The theatrical feature division produced Space Jam (1996), The Iron Giant (1999, through a distinct unit), Looney Tunes: Back in Action (2003), Happy Feet (2006), and more recent features including Smallfoot (2018) and The Addams Family series (2019, 2021). The Space Jam: A New Legacy sequel arrived in 2021.
What Filmmakers Should Know
Warner Bros. Animation develops theatrical features and streaming series from both original concepts and existing IP. The studio's long history with the Looney Tunes characters means much of its development focuses on those properties, but the animation unit also produces original content. Employment at the studio is the primary pathway for animators, story artists, and animation directors interested in contributing to Warner Bros. animated projects.
See Also
For understanding how major studio animation operates, see Distribution Deals Explained. For technical animation context, use the Frame Rate Calculator.
