Joel Kuwahara, Last Remaining Bento Box Co-Founder, Departs As ‘Bob’s Burgers’ Studio Integrates Further With Fox

Joel Kuwahara, co-founder and longtime production president of Bento Box Entertainment, has stepped down from the Fox-owned animation studio.

His departure, effective September 12, follows a mutual decision not to renew his contract. Bento Box executives emphasized the split was amicable, noting the studio’s ongoing integration into Fox Entertainment Studios.

“Joel Kuwahara’s vision as a founder and his commitment to excellence have been central to Bento Box’s success,” said Fox Entertainment Studios president Fernando Szew in a statement to Variety. “We wish him the best as he moves on to new opportunities.”

Kuwahara co-founded Bento Box in 2009 with Scott Greenberg and Mark McJimsey. With his exit, all three original founders are now gone: McJimsey left in 2016, Greenberg in 2023. Fox acquired the studio in 2019 after Disney’s purchase of 21st Century Fox.

Over his tenure, Kuwahara oversaw some of television’s most successful animated programming, including Fox’s Emmy-winning Bob’s Burgers, where he remains an executive producer. The series, a cornerstone of Fox’s animation slate, was recently renewed through its 19th season.

Bento Box also produces Fox titles such as Krapopolis, Grimsburg, Universal Basic Guys, and The Great North, along with Prime Video’s Hazbin Hotel. Its past projects include Apple TV+’s Central Park and Netflix’s Hoops and Duncanville.

Before launching Bento Box, Kuwahara produced on The Simpsons and The Simpsons Movie at Film Roman, and also held positions with Warner Bros. Animation, Sony Animation, and Icebox.com.

With Kuwahara’s departure, Bento Box enters a new era fully under Fox’s stewardship.