Cartoon Network, the beloved channel that shaped our childhood with shows like Dexter’s Laboratory and The Powerpuff Girls, is now at the center of a distressing rumor. Whispers of its impending shutdown have sent shockwaves through the internet, leaving fans in a state of frenzy.
The merger of Warner Bros. Animation and Cartoon Network Studios into one division last year was the catalyst for it all. The news was a shocker, especially when fans found out that Hanna Barbera Studios Europe, the original parent company of Cartoon Network Studios, would continue as a separate division.
This generated a lot of buzz online. In order to stem widespread speculation about its potential demise, the studio took to its official Twitter handle to address fans directly and put their worries to rest, stating cheerfully:
Y’all we’re not dead, we’re just turning 30 😂
To our fans: We’re not going anywhere. We have been and will always be your home for beloved, innovative cartoons ⬛️⬜️ More to come soon!
Fast forward ten months, and fans received the gut-wrenching news that the iconic Burbank headquarters of the studio would be shutting down this August. Not synonymous with the whole network going under, but a grim shock either way.
The official announcement didn’t come from the studio itself but from Brian Miller, former general manager of Cartoon Network Studios, who took to Twitter to share the notice to vacate the building by August 1st. It was a heartbreaking blow for fans and a bittersweet end to the 23-year legacy of the location.
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.
The Powerpuff Girls’ creator, Craig McCracken, also expressed his sorrow at the disheartening news, saying:
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.
Warner Bros. Discovery has not disclosed the full implications of its recent merger, but it did confirm that the approved projects from both studios would not be impacted. In fact, it reassured fans that the output would remain “relatively unchanged.” So, rest easy, folks. There might still be hope at the end of this gloomy tunnel.
