Warner Bros. Discovery’s new President of Feature Animation, Bill Damaschke, recently announced the company’s motion picture division will rebrand to put more emphasis on filmmakers.
“It’s honoring the past and rich history of the company. Warner Bros. Pictures Animation released movies like Iron Giant, Space Jam, Corpse Bride, Polar Express, Happy Feet, and The Lego Movie – benchmark films that broke new ground, new technology, new ways of telling stories and were successful, artistically and commercially. The last in people’s hearts, every one of those films,” said Bill Damaschke.
Formerly known as Warner Animation Group, the animation division’s original feature films included well-known animators Tim Burton, George Miller, Brad Bird, Robert Zemeckis, Phil Lord, and Christopher Miller.
Damaschke plans to incorporate the creativity of CEO and Co-Chairs Pamela Abdy and Michael de Luca, who said:
“Bill combines the unmatched creativity and imagination of an artist with the acumen, instincts, and amazing track record of a born leader. “His decades of experience, passion for storytelling, and forward-focused vision align perfectly with our overall creative strategy for the Studio and make him the ideal shepherd for Warner Bros.’ groundbreaking and iconic film animation business. We couldn’t be more thrilled to welcome Bill to the Warner Bros. family and can’t wait to dive into this exhilarating new era with him at the helm.”
Over the course of his career, Damaschke had a hand in the production of The Prince of Egypt, Madagascar, Kung Fu Panda, How to Train Your Dragon, The Croods, Shark Tale, Over the Hedge, and Kung Fu Panda. He even helped produce an award-winning live theatrical performance of Shrek The Musical.
Damaschke aims to bring some classic creativity back to new original Warner Bros. Discovery animation productions, a tactic that worked well for his previous position at DreamWorks Animation. He plans to have at least two animated theatrical premieres a year.
The Cat in the Hat has already begun production under the guidance of filmmakers Erica Rivinoja and Alessandro Carloni. Other films in development are Coyote vs. Acme and Meet the Flintstones, an origin story prequel.