Marvel Animation Inc. is an American animation production company. The Marvel Studios subsidiary was incorporated on January 25, 2008 to direct Marvel's efforts in animation and home entertainment markets. Marvel Animation at incorporation included then ongoing animation efforts by Marvel Studios with Lionsgate and Nickelodeon. Marvel Animation operates under the Marvel Television division of Marvel Studios.
Background
Marvel Comics Group first entered the animated field through licensing to Grantray-Lawrence Animation for The Marvel Super Heroes anthology series in the 1966. Marvel worked with Grantray-Lawrence, Hanna-Barbera and DePatie-Freleng Enterprises on other animated series until 1980. In 1980, Cadence Industries would purchase the remainder of DePatie-Freleng Enterprises to form Marvel Productions. Marvel Productions was merged into New World Entertainment's operations with the Marvel Entertainment Group's sale to Andrews Group, a Perlman corporation, in 1989. Marvel Productions became New World Animation by 1993. Marvel Entertainment Group then set up a division, Marvel Films, to work with New World Entertainment's New World Family Filmworks, Inc., both under Avi Arad as president. Marvel Films Animation was set up and produced only a single show, Spider-Man in 1994. During this time, New World Animation and Saban Entertainment produced additional shows, with Saban eventually taking over production. In August 1996, Marvel Entertainment Group decided to incorporate Marvel Films as Marvel Studios with the sale of New World Communications Group, Inc., Marvel's fellow Andrews Group subsidiary in film and television stations, funded with a sale of Toy Biz stock.
History
Animated features
In 2004, Marvel Entertainment, Marvel Comics' new parent corporation, struck a deal with Lions Gate Entertainment to produce a series of eight direct-to-video animated movies under the name of Marvel Animated Features in conjunction with Marvel Studios, Marvel's direct film subsidiary. Eric Rollman was hired by Marvel as Executive Vice President, Home Entertainment & TV Production for Marvel Studios to oversee the deal with Lionsgate.
Incorporated
Marvel Animation was incorporated in January 2008 to direct Marvel's efforts in animation and home entertainment markets including then animation efforts with Lionsgate and Nickelodeon. Marvel Entertainment named Eric Rollman as President of the company in April 2008. In early 2009, a home distribution deal for The Super Hero Squad Show was inked with Shout! Factory. In April 2009, the Marvel Knights Animation series was announce to be under development with Shout! Factory to develop hybrid comic animation DVD series by converting existing material. On December 31, 2009, The Walt Disney Company purchased Marvel Animation with parent company Marvel Studios as part of the Marvel Entertainment group for $4 billion. Both Marvel and Disney have stated that the merger will not affect any preexisting deals with Lionsgate or other production companies for the time being, although Disney said they will consider distributing future Marvel Animation projects with their own studios once the current deals expire. With the creation of the Marvel Television division in June 2010 within Marvel Studios, Marvel Animation will operate under Marvel TV's direction. In July 2010, Marvel entered into Superhero Anime Partners with Madhouse and Sony Pictures Entertainment Japan to develop and produce the Marvel Anime project that took famous Marvel characters and reintroduced them for a Japanese audience in four 12-part television series which aired on Animax in Japan and G4 in the United States.
In 2012, Marvel established its Marvel Animation Studios based in Glendale, California under Senior Vice President Eric Radomski. On April 1, Disney XD launched a block called Marvel Universe, with the premiere of Ultimate Spider-Man, followed by the returning The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes. The block is a result of Disney's 2009 Marvel acquisition. In June, Walt Disney Animation Studios announced they were in development with Marvel to make a film of Big Hero 6. At San Diego Comic-Con in July, Marvel Television announced a second "season" of Marvel Knights Animation with Shout Factory and the involved titles. Following up on early anime productions in the Superhero Anime Partners, Marvel has re-partnered with Madhouse and Sony Pictures Entertainment Japan as SH DTV Partners for a direct to video anime feature film, Iron Man: Rise of Technovore. Also in October, Marvel Animation Studios announced its first DTV production, a direct to video film, Iron Man & Hulk: Heroes United, to be released in 2013.
Marvel announced in May 2013, that the new shows, Avengers Assemble and Hulk and the Agents of S.M.A.S.H., would shown on Disney XD as part of the Marvel Universe block and would be a part of the same fictional universe. In October, Marvel announced that Disney Japan was producing a new anime TV show with Toei Animation called Marvel Disk Wars: The Avengers to be air starting in April 2, 2014 on TV Tokyo and other TXN stations.
A Guardians of the Galaxy animated series was officially announced in October 2014, with production set to begin for a 2015 release on Disney XD.
Units
- Marvel Animation Studios (2012â€"present)
- MLG Productions 1, Inc. - MLG Productions 8, Inc. (2006â€"2011) Marvel Animated Features joint venture with Lionsgate
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- All Marvel Animated Features films that have been released or announced have been produced by MLG Productions, Marvel & Lionsgate's subsidiary group, and have been released direct-to-video by Lionsgate. Currently the contract Marvel has with Lionsgate is for eight films, all of which have been released as of 2011.
- SH Anime/DTV partnerships with Sony Pictures Entertainment Japan and Madhouse:
- Superhero Anime Partners (2010â€"2011)
- SH DTV Partners (2012â€"2013)
- SH DTV AC BW&P Partners (2013â€"2014)
Production library
Animated series
Direct to video
Marvel Knights Animation
Marvel Knights Animation is a hybrid comic-animation series created by various comic artists. Episodes have been released on iTunes digitally and physically through Shout! Factory on DVD.
- Slate
See also
- Marvel Comics
- Marvel Productions
- Marvel Studios
- Disney XD
References
External links
- Official site