Cartoon Network Studios
An American animation studio that develops and produces original animated series, shorts, specials, films, and streaming programs for Cartoon Network and related Warner Bros. Discovery platforms.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Cartoon Network Studios is an American animation production studio associated with Cartoon Network and owned within the Warner Bros. Discovery entertainment structure. It originated in 1994 as a Hanna-Barbera division created to develop original animated programming for Cartoon Network, at a time when the young cable network was seeking to supplement its library of acquired animation with distinctive in-house productions. Its early development work included What a Cartoon!, an anthology of short pilots that helped launch Dexter's Laboratory and other influential Cartoon Network series. The studio's identity developed during the corporate integration of Turner Broadcasting System, Hanna-Barbera, and Time Warner. After Time Warner acquired Turner in 1996, Hanna-Barbera's operations were consolidated with Warner Bros. Animation. Cartoon Network Studios was subsequently established as a more independent production operation focused on original Cartoon Network programming, while Warner Bros. Animation concentrated more heavily on established Warner and Hanna-Barbera properties. A dedicated Burbank facility was acquired in 1999, began receiving production offices in 2000, and was formally opened that year. During the 2000s and 2010s, Cartoon Network Studios became one of the most recognizable American television-animation labels. Its productions included Dexter's Laboratory, Johnny Bravo, The Powerpuff Girls, Samurai Jack, Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends, Camp Lazlo, Ben 10, Chowder, Adventure Time, Regular Show, Steven Universe, Over the Garden Wall, We Bare Bears, OK K.O.! Let's Be Heroes, Craig of the Creek, Summer Camp Island, and Infinity Train. The studio also experimented with theatrical animation, live-action and hybrid programming, adult animation, miniseries, and projects commissioned for streaming services. The company has produced programming not only for Cartoon Network's main schedule, but also for Adult Swim, Cartoonito, and HBO Max. Examples of work outside the traditional children's schedule include the fifth season of Samurai Jack for Adult Swim, Primal, Close Enough, and Adventure Time: Distant Lands. Its only theatrical feature released under the studio's principal banner was The Powerpuff Girls Movie, released in 2002. In the 2020s, Warner Bros. Discovery restructuring brought Cartoon Network Studios and Warner Bros. Animation into a more closely integrated development and production organization. The two labels continued to be used, with Cartoon Network Studios generally associated with original and contemporary Cartoon Network-oriented work and Warner Bros. Animation associated more strongly with established intellectual properties and broader animated long-form production. The historic Burbank Cartoon Network Studios building closed to the studio's operations on August 1, 2023, as teams moved to Warner Bros.' Second Century facilities. Cartoon Network Studios continues to operate as a distinct creative label within the Warner Bros. animation organization.
History
Cartoon Network Studios emerged from the expansion of cable television animation in the 1990s. Turner Broadcasting System had developed Cartoon Network as a destination for animation, initially relying heavily on the Hanna-Barbera library and other acquired material. To create original programming, Hanna-Barbera established a Cartoon Network-focused division in 1994. Its best-known early initiative was What a Cartoon!, an anthology that commissioned short films and pilots from emerging and established creators. Dexter's Laboratory, one of the anthology's successful outcomes, premiered in 1996 and helped establish the studio's creative direction. The studio's early years coincided with major corporate changes. Time Warner acquired Turner Broadcasting System in 1996, bringing Cartoon Network and Hanna-Barbera into the Warner organization. Hanna-Barbera operations were later consolidated with Warner Bros. Animation, and Cartoon Network Studios briefly operated within that broader transition. The studio was formally established as an independent Cartoon Network production entity in 1999, with the objective of developing original series rather than serving primarily as a custodian of older intellectual property. A former commercial bakery and telephone-exchange building at 300 North Third Street in Burbank was acquired for the studio's headquarters. Production offices began moving there in March 2000, and the facility was christened on May 22, 2000, before its official opening later that year. The building became closely identified with the studio's creator-driven culture and housed production on series including Samurai Jack and Time Squad. After Hanna-Barbera co-founder William Hanna died in 2001 and Hanna-Barbera's original operation closed, Cartoon Network Studios assumed much of the function of producing new original television animation for the network. Throughout the 2000s, the studio broadened its output. It produced prominent children's series such as The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy, Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends, Camp Lazlo, Ben 10, Chowder, and The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack. It also tested projects for Adult Swim and experimented with live-action and hybrid production, including Out of Jimmy's Head, Ben 10 television films, and Tower Prep. These projects demonstrated an effort to extend the Cartoon Network production infrastructure beyond conventional animated series, although live-action production did not become the studio's principal identity. The 2010s brought a new period of critical and cultural visibility. Adventure Time premiered in 2010 and ran for ten seasons through 2018. Regular Show, Steven Universe, Over the Garden Wall, We Bare Bears, Clarence, OK K.O.! Let's Be Heroes, Craig of the Creek, Summer Camp Island, and Infinity Train expanded the studio's range of styles and formats. The company also produced miniseries, reboots, and adaptations of material first developed as online shorts. Samurai Jack returned for a fifth and final season on Adult Swim in 2017, and the studio produced Primal, its first full Adult Swim program, in 2019. Streaming became increasingly important at the end of the decade. Cartoon Network Studios supplied projects for HBO Max, including Adventure Time: Distant Lands and Close Enough after that series moved from a planned TBS animation initiative. The studio also continued producing programming for Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, and other Warner-related outlets. Corporate restructuring shaped the studio's 2020s operations. Sam Register was appointed to lead both Warner Bros. Animation and Cartoon Network Studios in 2020. In 2021, the European sister operation formerly known as Cartoon Network Studios Europe was renamed Hanna-Barbera Studios Europe. Following Warner Bros. Discovery's 2022 restructuring, Cartoon Network Studios moved under Warner Bros. Television, and its development and production teams were consolidated with those of Warner Bros. Animation. The labels remained in use, with Cartoon Network Studios continuing to signify original contemporary work. On August 1, 2023, Cartoon Network Studios vacated its historic Burbank headquarters and moved its operations to Warner Bros.' Second Century facilities. The relocation marked the end of the studio's more than two-decade association with the building, but not the end of the Cartoon Network Studios label or its role in Warner Bros. Discovery's animation activities.
- 2023
Operations move from the original Burbank headquarters
[1]The historic facility closed to Cartoon Network Studios operations on August 1, with teams relocating to Warner Bros.' Second Century facilities.
- 2022
Development and production teams integrate with Warner Bros. Animation
[1]A Warner Bros. Television restructuring consolidated teams while retaining Cartoon Network Studios and Warner Bros. Animation as labels.
- 2020
Sam Register assumes studio leadership
[1]Sam Register was appointed to lead Cartoon Network Studios alongside Warner Bros. Animation.
- 2019
Primal becomes the studio's first full Adult Swim program
[1]Genndy Tartakovsky's adult animated series expanded the studio's work into a major Adult Swim production.
- 2017
Samurai Jack returns on Adult Swim
[1]The studio produced a fifth and concluding season of the revived series.
- 2014
Over the Garden Wall premieres
[1]The studio produced its first miniseries.
- 2010
Adventure Time premieres
[1]The series became one of Cartoon Network Studios' most internationally recognized productions.
- 2002
The Powerpuff Girls Movie released
[1]The studio made its only theatrical feature released under its principal banner.
- 2000
Burbank headquarters opens
[1]The studio moved into and opened its dedicated Burbank facility.
- 1999
Cartoon Network Studios formally established
[1]The studio was organized as a dedicated entity for original Cartoon Network programming.
Products and positioning
A creator-led animation studio built around original, stylistically distinctive programming for Cartoon Network and adjacent Warner Bros. Discovery platforms, spanning children's animation, family entertainment, young-adult programming, and selected adult animation.
Animated pilot anthology · 1995
What a Cartoon!
An anthology of animated shorts developed as potential pilots for Cartoon Network. The project gave creators room to test visual styles, characters, and premises, and served as the development source for successful series including Dexter's Laboratory, Johnny Bravo, and The Powerpuff Girls.
Animated television series · 1998
The Powerpuff Girls
A superhero comedy about three kindergarten-aged sisters created from a laboratory experiment. The series became a major Cartoon Network property and later supported a theatrical film and a television reboot.
Animated franchise · 2005
Ben 10
An action-adventure franchise centered on a boy who uses the Omnitrix to transform into different alien species. Cartoon Network Studios produced the original series and later television adaptations, films, and a 2016 reboot.
Animated television series and streaming specials · 2010
Adventure Time
A fantasy-comedy series following Finn and Jake in the Land of Ooo. Its imaginative mythology, serialized storytelling, and unusual visual language made it one of the studio's signature productions. The original series ran for ten seasons, followed by HBO Max specials under the Distant Lands title.
Animated television series · 2010
Regular Show
A workplace comedy about two groundskeepers whose everyday tasks routinely develop into surreal adventures. The series was created by J. G. Quintel and became a major production associated with the studio's 2010s original-programming slate.
Animated television series · 2013
Steven Universe
A fantasy series combining coming-of-age storytelling, superhero elements, music, and long-form character development. It follows Steven and the Crystal Gems and was recognized for expanding the emotional and thematic range of mainstream children's animation.
Animated miniseries · 2014
Over the Garden Wall
A limited series about two brothers lost in a mysterious woodland. Its self-contained structure, autumnal atmosphere, and fairy-tale influences represented the studio's first miniseries production.
Adult animated series · 2019
Primal
An action-driven adult animated series created by Genndy Tartakovsky, centered on the bond between a prehistoric human and a dinosaur. Its largely dialogue-free storytelling and graphic visual style marked a significant expansion of the studio's work for Adult Swim.
Streaming animated specials · 2020
Adventure Time: Distant Lands
A group of extended Adventure Time specials produced for HBO Max. The project continued the original property's characters and world while allowing stories that differed in scale and structure from regular television episodes.
Brand decisions
2023
Relocate operations from the historic Burbank facilityStrategyBackground
The studio had outgrown its original building and had already been using additional facilities in the Burbank area.
Action taken
Cartoon Network Studios moved its operations to Warner Bros.' Second Century facilities on August 1, 2023.
Aftermath
The relocation ended the studio's long-term use of its landmark Burbank headquarters while preserving the label within the integrated Warner Bros. animation organization.
2022
Integrate development and production with Warner Bros. AnimationStrategyBackground
Warner Bros. Discovery reorganized its global kids, young-adult, and classics operations after the company's formation.
Action taken
Cartoon Network Studios and Warner Bros. Animation consolidated development and production teams under Warner Bros. Television while keeping their labels in use.
Aftermath
Cartoon Network Studios continued to be associated with original contemporary content, while the wider organization coordinated production resources across both animation labels.
2019
Increase production for Adult Swim and streamingStrategyBackground
WarnerMedia was expanding platform-specific programming, including content for Adult Swim and the planned HBO Max service.
Action taken
The studio produced Primal for Adult Swim and began developing or supplying projects such as Adventure Time: Distant Lands for HBO Max.
Aftermath
The studio's remit broadened beyond the core Cartoon Network children's schedule.
2007
Expand into live-action and hybrid productionStrategyBackground
The studio explored whether its production infrastructure could support programming beyond conventional animation.
Action taken
Cartoon Network Studios produced hybrid and live-action projects including Out of Jimmy's Head, Ben 10 television films, and later Tower Prep.
Aftermath
Live-action did not become the studio's primary long-term identity, although related infrastructure was later used for Adult Swim productions.
1999
Create a dedicated original-programming studioStrategyBackground
Hanna-Barbera's operations were being consolidated with Warner Bros. Animation, while Cartoon Network sought a specialized operation focused on new original series.
Action taken
Cartoon Network formally established Cartoon Network Studios as a dedicated production entity.
Aftermath
The structure supported a sustained pipeline of creator-led Cartoon Network originals and gave the studio a distinct identity from Warner Bros. Animation.
Recent events
HBO Max announces new kids and family programming[2]
WarnerMedia announced a collection of new and reimagined kids and family programming for HBO Max, including series picked up or greenlit from Warner Bros. Animation and Cartoon Network Studios, a project in development, and classic cartoons secured for the service.
Sources2 sources
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