J.G. Quintel’s new “Regular Show” and Craig McCracken’s “Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends” spin-off both feature in a new production slate from Warner Bros. Animation, Cartoon Network Studios and Hanna-Barbera Studios Europe.
Unveiled Wednesday at Annecy, they join a new “Adventure Time” series, “Side Quests,” as greenlights at the Warner-owned companies.
The news slate also boasts two more “Adventure Time” shows in development, plus an unannounced Scooby-Doo project.
The big question raised by the studio’s Annecy focus is whether the surge in new shows is a temporary anomaly or marks a broader indicator of a more sustained return by Warner Bros. Discovery to fuller-on animation production after the lull of the recent past.
Certainly, the news will not come much bigger at this year’s Annecy than “Adventure Time,” “Regular Show” and “Fosters” returns, shows which helped shape fandom’s sense of modern-day animation entertainment in the 2010s and just before.
The WBA-CNS-HBSE bonanza also underscores Warner Bros.’s declared strategy of returning to top fan favorites but making them for different age group demos.
McCracken’s original “Foster’s” targeted 6-11s, while the new “Foster’s Home” is preschool; the unveiled “Adventure Time” titles include a preschool show, “Heyo BMO,” and a family feature “Adventure Time Movie.”
Below, a brief breakdown of new shows announced by the three companies at Annecy.
Greenlights Announced at Annecy
“Foster’s Funtime for Imaginary Friends” (Cartoon Network Studios)
Creator of “Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends,” which won Emmys and Annies, Craig McCracken (also known for “Powerpuff Girls”) is back with a completely new original series targeting pre-schoolers. In it, a now-young group of preschool imaginary friends learns from an immature elder friend, Bloo, who, as in the original, still unintentionally gets things wrong. McCracken has promised the same fast pace but a fun, simpler structure and less cynical humor. Only Bloo and Madame Foster return.
“Adventure Time: Side Quests” (Cartoon Network Studios)
As Variety has just announced, while adult-skewed “Fionna & Cake” is airing on Max, “Side Quests” takes the franchise back to a kid’s show, marking a return to early days with kid Finn and best buddy Jake fighting monsters on epic quests in an episodic series, eschewing the long story arcs of later “Adventure Times.” “Side Quests” looks set in the same world as the early original repeating characters such as villain The Ice King. Nate Cash, a creative (2012-13) and then supervising director (Season 5) on “Adventure Time,” figures as the series creator.
Untitled Regular Show Project, (Cartoon Network)
Details on the new show are being kept under wraps. It’s not even known if Mordecai and Rigby are back. The key, however, is that it’s from J.G. Quintel. The show is entirely new, though it will feature some characters from the original series, Variety has learned.
“Go-Go Mystery Machine” (Cartoon Network)
A Scooby-Doo spin-off series takes the gang to Japan. “While visiting Japan on the ultimate foodie adventure, Shaggy and Scooby-Doo unwittingly unleash hundreds of mischievous mythical monsters that are now causing trouble all over the country,” the description runs. Scooby turns to his uncle, Daisuke-Doo, and magical friend Etsuko and gadget wiz Toshiro to help solve the mystery and catch the monsters.
“Adventure Time: Heyo BMO” (Cartoon Network Studios)
The first-ever “Adventure Time” pre-school series. “In the fantastical Land of Ooo, the little robot BMO is on a new adventure. Now settled in a new neighborhood with new friends, BMO approaches each challenge he faces with his unique brand of enthusiasm and curiosity in a quest to learn and fill his database,” the description runs. Adam Muto, “Adventure Time” showrunner from mid-Season 5, returns as the main creative talent alongside Ashlyn Anstee, a storyboard artist on “Distant Lands.”
“Untitled Barbara Throws a Wobbler Project” (Hanna-Barbera Studios Europe)
A preschool series based on award-winning author and illustrator Nadia Shireen’s picturebook, about a young cat who most days does what other cats do, until one day she throws a tantrum she can’t control. Creative lead is animation supervisor Joris van Hulzen, a 2D animation director on “The Amazing World of Gumball.”
“The Adventure Time Movie” (Cartoon Network Studios)
Billed by CNS as: “Jake and Finn embark on their greatest adventure yet.” Rebecca Sugar, behind “Steven Universe” and a storyboard artist on “Adventure Time” Seasons 2 and 3, serves as creator with Muto and another “Adventure Time” veteran, Patrick McHale, a writer, creative director and storyboard artist on the original series from 2010-17.
“Bad Karma,” (Warner Bros. Animation)
A family movie project set in a fantasy mythological world billed by WBA as an “exciting and epic tale about courage, loyalty and an unlikely friendship.” This title features a young demon princess, Chandra, and the legendary demi-god, Hanuman. A clip shown at Annecy turns on Chandra’s travails with men until she meets the giant Hanuman. Creators take in Sanjay Patel, dictator of Oscar-nominated “Sanjay’s Super Team,” Rajesh Devraj (writer of “Arjun: The Warrior Prince”), Vikash Shankar and Katie Rice.
“Lovey Dovey,” (Warner Bros. Animation)
A romantic wedding dove, in search of his one true love, gets stuck with a bunch of streetwise pigeons whose only goal is to screw the large bird from a popular kids TV show. Ava Tramer, a writer on “Harley Quinn,” takes the creative lead.
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