A legendary animation studio has shut down its production of new shows nearly 55 years since it first opened. Animation fans in Canada might be all too familiar with many of the changes going on with Corus Entertainment in the region. The company has been facing financial troubles due to a decreased amount of revenue coming in, and has been facing all kinds of other changes as the broadcast landscape shifts even more. This has led to Corus Entertainment shutting down broadcast networks in the region like Disney XD, Nickelodeon and more, and now has resulted in one legendary studio shutting down its productions entirely.
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Reports began appearing this week that legendary studio Nelvana would be shutting down after 54 years as members of the staff began revealing the news, and Corus Entertainment has now revealed (as reported by The Globe and Mail) that the company won’t be shutting down entirely but will be halting production on new projects. Instead, the brand will now be focused on “distribution, merchandising, and managing existing properties” as part of an overall plan to wind down.
Nelvana Shuts Down Production After 54 Years
Corus Entertainment explained that Nelvana is shutting down production on new shows “for the time being” and will be shifting its strategy. The Nelvana brand will still exist under Corus Entertainment, but will now be “focusing on distribution, merchandising, and managing existing properties.” Corus Entertainment have not revealed how many potential jobs have been lost in the wake of such a decision, but state “As always, we continue to review opportunities and priorities as part of our ongoing business operations” about the potential future of the brand. And as revealed through former staff on social media, it really does seem to be the end of an era.
Nelvana was first founded in the early 1970s by Michael Hirsh, Patrick Loubert, and Clive A. Smith, but was purchased by Corus Entertainment in 2000. The entertainment company revealed some dire financial situations last Summer, and revealed that they were planned to make some changes as a result. Fans have seen this have an impact on children’s media especially thanks to some channels being shut down or no longer offered with Corus, but this feels like the biggest shift for animation fans on a whole considering Nelvana has been iconic in terms of what it has brought to children over the decades.
Why Is Nelvana Special?
The Canadian based company has been the studio behind many generations of notable hits. This includes many adaptations of books like The Magic School Bus, Franklin, Rupert, Redwall, The Adventures of Tintin, The Berenstain Bears, Babar, Little Bear and much more. There are a number of originals crafted by the company that span many ages too like with adult animated offerings such as Clone High during its original run. Even if you don’t recognize the company by name, you’ll likely recognize its many works that span all sorts of franchises (such as the iconic Star Wars Holiday Special).
There are even many classic anime franchises that have been produced by Nelvana as well like Beyblade and Medabots, so the company’s reach really does extend towards many generations and many different kinds of animation fans. So seeing this company shutting down its production of new works means that animation likely took one of its biggest modern losses with this one.
HT – The Globe and Mail
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Image courtesy of Focus Features.
