Marvel Productions Ltd., later known as New World Animation, was an American animation studio owned by the Fox Entertainment Group subsidiary of News Corporation which was founded in 1981 as the television and film studio subsidiary of the Marvel Entertainment Group, based in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California. It later became a subsidiary of New World Entertainment and eventually of News Corporation.
The company as Marvel Productions produced animated television series, films and television specials such as Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends, The Incredible Hulk, My Little Pony: The Movie, The Transformers: The Movie, and G.I. Joe: The Movie as well as The Transformers, Muppet Babies, and G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero television series. Most of Marvel Productions/New World Animation's non-Hasbro-related back catalog is currently owned by The Walt Disney Company.
History
DePatie–Freleng Enterprises (1963–1980)
The company began in 1963 as DFE Films, and was sold to Cadence Industries, Marvel Comics Group's owner, in 1980 after DFE founder and company executive Friz Freleng departed the company to return to his former job at Warner Bros. Animation. Freleng's business partner and DFE co-founder David H. DePatie continued to work for the company under the Marvel banner for several years until his retirement.
Marvel Productions (1980–1993)
thumb|right|Logo for Marvel Productions, New World's former name.
Marvel Productions opened its Los Angeles studio in 1980. Marvel Comics Group, owned by Cadence Industries Corporation since 1968, was sold to New World Pictures in 1986 along with Marvel Productions and incorporated as Marvel Entertainment Group.
With New World having cash flow problems, MEG was sold in January 1989 to Andrews Group, a MacAndrews and Forbes subsidiary, owned by Ronald Perelman. However, New World kept Marvel Productions and merged it with its own television business. Loesch left for Fox Kids in 1990. In December 1992, New World formed New World Family Filmworks and New World Action Animation, headed by Marvel Productions president Rick Ungar, to produce $20 million worth of family entertainment programming.
New World Animation (1993–1996)
Marvel Productions was renamed New World Animation in November 1993. In 1994, Marvel and New World established Marvel Films including Marvel Films Animation. New World Animation (The Incredible Hulk), Saban Entertainment (X-Men), and Marvel Films Animation (Spider-Man), each produced a Marvel series for television. Tom Tataranowicz was in charge of both Marvel Films Animation and New World Animation during this period.
News Corporation subsidiary (1996)
News Corporation/Fox Entertainment Group acquired New World Entertainment, along with New World Animation and Marvel Films Animation for $2.5 billion in August 1996. At the same time, Saban Entertainment secured the rights from Marvel Entertainment Group for Captain America, Daredevil, and Silver Surfer, and additional characters to be developed into four series and 52 episodes over the next seven years. while Fox retained ownership of New World Animation.
Postscript
In July 2001, Fox Family Worldwide and its assets, including the Marvel Productions library and Saban Entertainment, were purchased by The Walt Disney Company for $5.2 billion.
After getting its 2002 profit participation statements for the Marvel Productions library, Marvel Enterprises sued The Walt Disney Company over royalties in August 2004 after Disney would not open their books. This was followed by a November 2004 suit which claimed that the purchase of Fox Family did not transfer the shows' copyrights to Disney as the purchase was done without Marvel's approval. As part of both suits, Marvel claimed library income concealment and failure to exploit the characters. After Disney's acquisition of 21st Century Fox on March 20, 2019, the Marvel Productions and Fox Kids/Saban Entertainment libraries reunited with the New World Animation library.
Filmography
Animated series
{|class="wikitable sortable" style="width: auto; style="width:100%;" table-layout: fixed;" |
!style="width:20%;"|Show
!style="width:10%;"|Year
!style="width:10%;"|Network
!style="width:40%;"|Notes
|-
|Spider-Man
|1981
|Syndication
| Marvel property
|-
|Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends
|1981–1983
|NBC || Marvel property, paired with The Incredible Hulk
|-
|The Incredible Hulk
| rowspan="3" |1982
|NBC
|Marvel property, paired with Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends
|-
|Pandamonium
|co-production with InterMedia Entertainment Company and MGM/UA Television
|-
|Dungeons & Dragons
|1983–1985
|co-production with TSR Entertainment/Dungeons and Dragons Entertainment Corp<br>currently co-owned by Disney and Hasbro Entertainment
|-
|G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero
|1983–1986
|Syndication
|based on Hasbro toyline of same name with Sunbow Productions
|-
|The Transformers
|1984–1987
|Syndication
|based on Hasbro toyline of same name with Sunbow Productions
|-
|Little Muppet Monsters
| rowspan="2" |1985
|CBS
|based on Jim Henson's Muppets, co-produced with Henson Associates
- <small>Inhumanoids</small>
|Syndication
|based on Hasbro toyline of same name co-produced with Sunbow Productions Series was cancelled after Rogers Commission investigation into STS-51-L (Space Shuttle Challenger explosion) three days after episode was broadcast, resulting in litigation between the parties settled in 1990.
|-
|Jem and the Holograms
| rowspan="3" |Syndication
|based on Hasbro toyline of same name co-produced with Sunbow Productions
|Syndication
|co-production with King Features Syndicate (owner)
|co-production with Murakami-Wolf-Swenson<br>currently owned by WildBrain
|-
|Dino-Riders
|-
|RoboCop
|co-production with Orion Pictures; aired as part of the Marvel Action Universe block
|-
|The Incredible Hulk
|1996
|UPN
|season 1, co-production with Marvel Films and Saerom Animation
|}
- Stealth Warriors
TV specials
{|class="wikitable sortable"
|-
!Airdate
!Title
!Network
!Notes
|-
|style="text-align:right;"|February 14, 1981
|Pink at First Sight
| rowspan="2" |ABC
|production inherited from DePatie–Freleng Enterprises
|-
|style="text-align:right;"|May 20, 1982
|The Grinch Grinches the Cat in the Hat
|production inherited from DePatie–Freleng Enterprises, co-production with Dr. Seuss
|-
|style="text-align:right;"|October 25, 1983
|The Charmkins
| rowspan="2" |syndication
| rowspan="2" |based on Hasbro toyline of same name
|-
|style="text-align:right;"|April 14, 1984
|My Little Pony: Rescue at Midnight Castle
|-
|style="text-align:right;"|September 12, 1984
|The Secret World of the Very Young
|CBS
|co-production with Sunbow Productions
|-
|style="text-align:right;"|March 23, 1985
|My Little Pony: Escape from Catrina
|syndication
|based on Hasbro toyline of same name
|-
|style="text-align:right;"|1987
|Blondie and Dagwood
| rowspan="3" | CBS
| rowspan="2" |co-production with King Features Syndicate
|-
|style="text-align:right;"|1989
|Blondie and Dagwood: Second Wedding Workout
|-
|style="text-align:right;"|1993
|The Magic Paintbrush
|CBS prime time special sponsored by McDonald's
All programs based on Hasbro properties were co-productions with Sunbow Productions. These programs are now owned by Hasbro through its entertainment unit.
Theatrical and DTV films
{|class="wikitable sortable"
|-
!Airdate
!Title
!studio
!Notes
|-
|November 28, 1984
|Gallavants
|
|Direct-to-Video
|-
|June 20, 1986
|My Little Pony: The Movie
| rowspan="3" |with Sunbow Productions
- Lee Gunther – senior vice president, production (1986)
- Stan Lee – vice president, creative affairs (1986)