| Type: | Subsidary |
| Fate: | Acquired by Saban Entertainment and Fox Kids Worldwide |
| Predecessor: | DePatie–Freleng Enterprises |
| Successor: | Studio: Marvel Animation Marvel Studios Animation Library: The Walt Disney Company (majority) Hasbro Entertainment (assets from Sunbow Entertainment & Claster Television) Amazon MGM Studios (via United Artists) |
| Location: | Hollywood, Los Angeles, California |
| Industry: | Film and television |
Marvel Productions, later known as New World Animation Ltd., was an American production company owned by the Fox Entertainment Group subsidiary of News Corporation which was founded in 1981 as the television and film studio subsidiary of the Marvel Entertainment Group, based in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California.[1] It later became a subsidiary of New World Entertainment and eventually of News Corporation.
The company as Marvel Productions produced animated television series, films and television specials such as Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends, The Incredible Hulk, My Little Pony: The Movie, , and as well as The Transformers and G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero television series. Most of Marvel Productions/New World Animation's non-Hasbro-related back catalog is currently owned by The Walt Disney Company.
The company began in 1963 as DFE Films, and was sold to Cadence Industries, Marvel Comics Group's owner, in 1981 after DFE founder and company executive Friz Freleng departed the company to return to his former job at Warner Bros. Cartoons.[2] [3] Freleng's business partner and DFE co-founder David H. DePatie continued to work for the company under the Marvel banner for several years until his retirement.[4]
Marvel Productions opened its Los Angeles studio in 1981. In 1984, Margaret Loesch joined Marvel Productions as president and chief executive officer.[5] Marvel Comics Group, owned by Cadence Industries Corporation since 1968, was sold to New World Pictures in 1986 along with Marvel Productions and incorporated as Marvel Entertainment Group.[6]
With New World having cash flow problems, MEG was sold in January 1989 to Andrews Group, a MacAndrews and Forbes subsidiary, owned by Ronald Perelman. However, New World kept Marvel Productions and merged it with its own television business. MP moved their offices from Van Nuys to West Los Angeles in May 1989.
New World's problems continued, which led them to also be acquired by the Andrews Group within the year.[7] Loesch left for Fox Kids in 1990.[8] In December 1992, New World formed New World Family Filmworks and New World Action Animation, headed by Marvel Productions president Rick Ungar, to produce $20 million worth of family entertainment programming.[9] [10]
Marvel Productions was renamed New World Animation in November 1993.[11] In 1994, Marvel and New World established Marvel Films including Marvel Films Animation.[12] [13] [14] New World Animation (The Incredible Hulk), Saban Entertainment (X-Men), and Marvel Films Animation (Spider-Man), each produced a Marvel series for television.[15] Tom Tataranowicz was in charge of both Marvel Films Animation and New World Animation during this period.[16]
News Corporation/Fox Entertainment Group acquired New World Entertainment, along with New World Animation and Marvel Films Animation for $2.5 billion in August 1996.[17] At the same time, Saban Entertainment secured the rights from Marvel Entertainment Group for Captain America, Daredevil, and Silver Surfer, and additional characters to be developed into four series and 52 episodes over the next seven years.[18]
Fox Children's Productions and Saban Entertainment merged to form Fox Kids Worldwide, a holding company and joint venture, in November 1996,[19] while Fox retained ownership of New World Animation.[20]
Fox Family Worldwide and its assets, including the Marvel Productions library and Saban Entertainment, were purchased by The Walt Disney Company for $5.2 billion in July 2001.[21] [22] [23]
After getting its 2002 profit participation statements for the Marvel Productions library, Marvel Enterprises sued The Walt Disney Company over royalties in August 2004 after Disney would not open their books. This was followed by a November 2004 suit which claimed that the purchase of Fox Family did not transfer the shows' copyrights to Disney as the purchase was done without Marvel's approval. As part of both suits, Marvel claimed library income concealment and failure to exploit the characters.
On August 31, 2009, Disney acquired Marvel Entertainment for $4 billion, reunifying the Marvel Productions library and Marvel Entertainment under the same corporate banner.[24] After Disney's acquisition of 21st Century Fox on March 20, 2019, the Marvel Productions and Fox Kids/Saban Entertainment libraries reunited with the New World Animation library.
| Show | Year | Network | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spider-Man | 1981 | Syndication | Marvel property[25] | |
| Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends | 1981–1983 | NBC[26] | Marvel property, paired with The Incredible Hulk[27] | |
| The Incredible Hulk | 1982 | NBC | Marvel property, paired with Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends | |
| Meatballs & Spaghetti | 1982 | CBS | co-production with InterMedia Entertainment Company, Pan Sang East Co. Ltd, and MGM/UA Television[28] | |
| Pandamonium | 1982 | co-production with InterMedia Entertainment Company and MGM/UA Television | ||
| Dungeons & Dragons | 1983–1985 | co-production with TSR Entertainment/Dungeons and Dragons Entertainment Corp[29] currently co-owned by Disney and Hasbro Entertainment | ||
| G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero | 1983–1986 | Syndication | based on Hasbro toyline of same name with Sunbow Productions | |
| Muppet Babies | 1984–1991 | CBS | based on Jim Henson's Muppets[30] | |
| The Transformers | 1984–1987 | Syndication | based on Hasbro toyline of same name with Sunbow Productions[31] | |
| Little Muppet Monsters | 1985 | CBS | based on Jim Henson's Muppets, co-produced with Henson Associates | |
| Super Sunday (a.k.a. Super Saturday) | 1985 | Syndication | based on Hasbro toyline of same name co-produced with Sunbow Productions | |
| Jem and the Holograms | 1986 | based on Hasbro toyline of same name co-produced with Sunbow Productions | ||
| Inhumanoids | 1986 | based on Hasbro toyline of same name co-produced with Sunbow Productions | ||
| My Little Pony 'n Friends | 1986 | Syndication | based on Hasbro toyline of same name, coproduced with Sunbow Productions; first half of the show was My Little Pony while the second half was a wheel series | |
| Defenders of the Earth[34] | 1986 | Syndication | co-production with King Features Syndicate (owner) | |
| 1987 | NBC | based on Fraggle Rock | ||
| Little Wizards | 1987 | ABC | co-production with New World International | |
| The Little Clowns of Happytown[35] | 1987 | ABC | co-production with Murakami-Wolf-Swenson[36] currently owned by WildBrain | |
| Dino-Riders | 1988 | Syndication | co-produced by Tyco Toys; aired as part of the Marvel Action Universe block[37] | |
| RoboCop | 1988 | Syndication | co-production with Orion Pictures; aired as part of the Marvel Action Universe block | |
| Rude Dog and the Dweebs | 1989 | CBS | ||
| 1989 | Syndication | aired on the Marvel Action Universe block as a pilot for an X-Men series | ||
| Attack of the Killer Tomatoes | 1990–1991 | FOX | co-production with Fox Children's Productions | |
| Kid 'n Play | 1990–1991 | NBC | co-production with Saban Entertainment | |
| Space Cats | 1991–1992 | NBC | co-production with Paul Fusco Productions | |
| Bucky O'Hare and the Toad Wars! | 1991–1992 | Syndication (U.S.) | co-production with Abrams/Gentile Entertainment, Continuity Comics, IDDH, and Sunbow Productions | |
| Little Shop | 1991 | Fox | co-production with Saban Entertainment and Fox Children's Productions | |
| Biker Mice from Mars | 1993 | Syndication | studio known as New World Animation onwards, released as Marvel Productions, distributed by New World (internationally), Genesis Entertainment (domestically), co-production with Philippine Animation Studios.[38] | |
| The Incredible Hulk | 1996 | UPN |
| Airdate | Title | Network | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| February 14, 1981 | Pink at First Sight | ABC | production inherited from DePatie–Freleng Enterprises | |
| May 20, 1982 | The Grinch Grinches the Cat in the Hat | ABC | production inherited from DePatie–Freleng Enterprises, co-production with Dr. Seuss | |
| October 25, 1983 | The Charmkins | syndication | based on Hasbro toyline of same name | |
| April 14, 1984 | My Little Pony: Rescue at Midnight Castle | syndication | based on Hasbro toyline of same name | |
| September 12, 1984 | The Secret World of the Very Young | CBS | co-production with Sunbow Productions | |
| March 23, 1985 | My Little Pony: Escape from Catrina | syndication | based on Hasbro toyline of same name | |
| 1987 | Blondie and Dagwood | CBS | co-production with King Features Syndicate | |
| 1989 | Blondie and Dagwood: Second Wedding Workout | CBS | co-production with King Features Syndicate | |
| 1993 | The Magic Paintbrush | CBS | CBS prime time special sponsored by McDonald's | |
| November 28, 1996 | Party Town Friends | Syndication |
Except for Fraggle Rock, the rights to series based on Jim Henson properties are now held by The Muppets Studio, a subsidiary of the Walt Disney Company.[42] [43]
All programs based on Hasbro properties were co-productions with Sunbow Productions. These programs are now owned by Hasbro through its entertainment unit.
| Airdate | Title | studio | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 20, 1986 | My Little Pony: The Movie | with Sunbow Productions | Theatrical | |
| August 8, 1986 | with Sunbow Productions | Theatrical | ||
| April 20, 1987 | with Sunbow Productions | Direct-to-Video planned for theatrical release. | ||
| January 1993 | Gahan Wilson's Diner | Theatrical short |
| Title | Original broadcast | Network |
|---|---|---|
| Solarman | 1988 | Syndication |
| 1989 |
