Studios Archives | Cartoon Brew

‘Hilda’ Studio Mercury Filmworks Puts New Focus On Original Content

The studio currently has 15 original series concepts in its pipeline.

AMGI boasts major industry names behind the scenes, including Colin Brady, Teddy Newton, and Jill Culton.

So the Toronto scene continues to blossom — but does it have the same lure it once did for aspiring animators?

The division plans to develop more than 30 new kids’ shows, both animated and live action, over next three years.

Gordon will oversee the company’s animation teams in London, Montreal, and Vancouver.

The first title they are developing is “Mother Nature,” a character-driven action adventure with ecological overtones.

A watershed moment in Canadian animation history.

The new studio is creatively led by Brad Lewis, a veteran of Pixar and Dreamworks.

Watch the crew discuss their ambitions for the film — and for Chinese animation in general.

The management shakeup comes as Nickelodeon’s animation studio continues to grow in the pandemic.

The move suggests that Netflix could be moving a big part of its animation operation to Burbank.

Don Bluth Studios will create “new characters, new ideas, and new cartoons.”

The veteran animator and filmmaker joined the studio last year to work on an as-yet-undisclosed series.

Naito has overseen the running of Nickelodeon’s animation business since 2018.

The veteran executive, who helped develop shows including “Adventure Time” and “The Fairly Oddparents,” is returning to independent production.

Combined, the two studios he’s leading currently produce more than 30 series.

The company calls it a “radical shift in studio working structure.”

The studio says it intends to hire back employees when it can safely have the crew back in its buildings.

What gives the city an edge — and what threats does it face?

Ottawa’s Mercury Filmworks is operating at only 75% capacity during the pandemic.