Warner Bros. says they are not leaving Sam Register’s chair empty.
TV Group chairman Channing Dungey tells Variety she will name a new head of Warner Bros. Animation, Cartoon Network Studios and Hanna-Barbera Studios Europe.
“That’s absolutely a role that we’ll be looking to fill,” Dungey said.
“Sam built such an incredible team, and the creatives who have been working with Sam for so many years are all still in place. I do want to tap a new leader of the division,” she continued.
Register is leaving after 18 years, and as CBN reported, his exit came when his contract wasn’t renewed.
Why Paramount Got A Call
The new detail is who got told about the exit.
“We shared the news with Paramount that Sam was going to be departing, but there is no impediment to filling that role,” Dungey said.
Warner Bros. Discovery agreed to sell itself to Paramount Skydance, and that deal hasn’t closed yet. While the sale is pending, Warner Bros. is keeping the incoming owner informed on big personnel moves.
Dungey’s point is that Warner Bros. doesn’t need Paramount’s permission to hire the next animation chief.
She drew the line at bigger moves, saying that for long-term commitments, “certainly we’re going to want to discuss that with our partners across the aisle.”
That’s exactly what we reported earlier, since anything long-term must be approved by David Ellison and Paramount.
Register, Gunn, Bloys
Register’s exit fits a pattern CBN has been tracking.
His contract expired and wasn’t renewed, James Gunn’s DC Studios deal runs through 2027, and Casey Bloys’ HBO deal expires in 2027 with no extension announced.
This week, CBN’s Paramount sources said HBO Max could be gone and Bloys out once the merger closes.
The animation division keeps ordering shows in the meantime. Recent pickups include Genndy Tartakovsky’s Heist Brothers and Yokoso Scooby-Doo at Tubi, and Scooby-Doo: Origins is one of Netflix’s most anticipated series for the coming year.
Whoever takes the job will inherit a full slate, and possibly a new owner. Paramount says the merger is ready to close.
Also from the Dungey interview: Matt Reeves signed a new overall deal with Warner Bros. TV.
