Corus Entertainment’s storied animation studio will continue to oversee existing projects, including distribution and merchandising, while evaluating new opportunities and business priorities.
Canadian media company Corus Entertainment has halted all new animation production at its famed Nelvana animation studio, effectively shutting down work on new projects as it redirects business efforts around existing animated properties.Corus paused all development at the studio last July while announcing 300 more layoffs, which followed 500 job cuts earlier in the year.
When asked about media reports on the company’s financial predicament and Nelvana production halt, a Corus spokesperson told AWN, “To confirm, Nelvana is not shutting down.It was announced earlier this year that as certain productions were completed, we would be pausing new studio productions for the time being.Nelvana continues to operate, focusing on distribution, merchandising, and managing existing properties.
As always, we continue to review opportunities and priorities as part of our ongoing business operations.” Founded by Clive Smith, Michael Hirsh and Patrick Loubert in 1971, Nelvana helped put Canadian animation on the map with such shows as , , , , , and many others.They also were early animation pioneers, working with Lucasfilm on , also known as , in the mid-70s, (1985–1986) and (1985–1987). And of course, the 1985 and (1989–1991).In an extensive 2022 interview with AWN, Smith shared recollections about the early days of the studio that began life in a walk-up loft in downtown Toronto, where three storytellers started making short films in a bathroom. “There were two bathrooms and one we used as a bathroom, funnily enough, while the other one became a camera room and its empty, dry toilet became a lightbox,” remembers Smith.
“I built a camera stand over the top of the toilet and I had a wind-up, eight-millimeter Bolex.That's how I started shooting animation.”
According to , as of this past June, Corus had more than $1 billion in long-term debt and continues to take cost-cutting action.Dan Sarto is Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of Animation World Network.
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