Sam Register to Depart as Head of Warner Bros. Animation, Cartoon Network Studios and Hanna-Barbera Studios Europe (EXCLUSIVE)
Sam Register, the long-serving head of Warner Bros. Animation, Cartoon Network Studios and Hanna-Barbera Studios Europe, is leaving the company next week after both parties agreed not to renew his contract. Warner Bros. TV Group chair Channing Dungey confirmed the departure in a staff memo, thanking Register for his contributions and noting that a search for his successor is now under way, with existing department heads and Matt Matzkin overseeing business operations in the interim.
Register spent 18 years running the animation division, having joined as a producer in 2007 before rising to president, and added Cartoon Network Studios to his remit in 2020; including an earlier decade at Cartoon Network, his time within the wider company spans more than 30 years. During his tenure he oversaw shows including "Harley Quinn," "Teen Titans Go!," "Young Justice" and the "Animaniacs" revival, as well as films such as "Teen Titans Go! to the Movies" and "Tom and Jerry." In a statement, Register said it was "time to move on to the next chapter" and thanked his colleagues, while Dungey's memo named the department heads who will continue leading their teams during the transition.
- Sam Register exits as Warner Bros. Animation chief after 18 years
- Contract not renewed by mutual agreement; successor search under way
- Oversaw hits like "Harley Quinn," "Teen Titans Go!" and "Animaniacs" revival
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Warner Bros. Animation makes television programmes and films based on characters such as the Looney Tunes, while Cartoon Network Studios produces animated shows for Cartoon Network. Hanna-Barbera Studios Europe is the company’s European animation studio, continuing a name associated with classic cartoons including The Flintstones and Scooby-Doo.
Sam Register joined Warner Bros. in 2007 and led its animation division for 18 years, also taking charge of Cartoon Network Studios in 2020. His work included shows such as Teen Titans Go! and Young Justice, and the Animaniacs revival.
These studios develop and produce programmes for audiences around the world, drawing on both established characters and new ideas. Their leadership shapes which projects are made and how the different teams work together.
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