Cartoon Network was many people’s childhoods, so potential news of it closing up shop has shocked the internet.
Hollywood has been in turmoil these past few months, from the recent WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, to the “historic director’s deal,” and now animators are gearing up for trouble.
Because of this, many fans had been worried about popular TV Channel Cartoon Network, which has housed the likes of The Power Puff Girls, Steven Universe, and Dexter’s Laboratory.
So is the channel dead in the water now, or has something else happened to it? Read on to find out.
Is Cartoon Network closing down?
No, but it is going through a lot of changes which could alter the way the channel works.
For a while Cartoon Network had been the subject of rumors, rumors that an impending shutdown was coming. Now these whispers didn’t come from nowhere; they stemmed from the merger of Warner Bros. Animation and Cartoon Network Studios last year. It’s parent company, Hanna Barbera Studios Europe, would continue on its own, inciting worry that Cartoon Network was being discarded and absorbed beyond recognition.
Warner Bros. has not disclosed the full impact that the merger will have on Cartoon Network, but it did state that any already approved projects would not be impacted. However, this did not stop the many tweets mourning Cartoon Network, tweets that are still appearing today.
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Cartoon Network has long since rebuked these rumors of disbanding, taking to its official Twitter to address fans directly. They posted last year stating “We’re not dead…we’re not going anywhere.” However, this might not be entirely true.
What is happening to Cartoon Network?
See, turns out that Cartoon Network is going somewhere. Last month, fans received the news that the iconic Burbank headquarters of the studio would be shutting down in August, after a 23-year legacy.
The announcement was made by Brian Miller, former general manager of Cartoon Network Studios, explaining on his Twitter that “Sadly, this building will no longer be CNS. From what I’ve been told, everyone will be out by August 1. All moving together in a WB building as one animation unit. Farewell CNS as it was.”
Powerpuff Girls creator Craig McCracken also commented on the situation, stating to his Twitter that: “When CN told us they were opening their own studio they asked Genndy and I to help pick the building and make design suggestions on what we wanted for the interior work spaces. So I can honestly say this is place I felt I helped build. It’s sad to see it go.”
While again, this doesn’t mean the end for Cartoon Network, no doubt this new working environment will have an impact on the future of the company. And with everything else going on in Hollywood right now, it’s not hard to be worried about everything.
We will update this article should any new information come out.