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Warner Bros. Animation President Sam Register to step down

Register and Warner Bros. Television Group leadership mutually agreed not to renew his contract as it expires.

The short version

  • Sam Register is departing as president of Warner Bros. Animation, Cartoon Network Studios, and Hanna-Barbera Studios Europe when his contract ends next week.
  • Warner Bros. Television Group CEO Channing Dungey announced the departure in a staff memo, stating both parties mutually agreed not to renew the contract.
  • A search is underway for Register's replacement, while business operations executive Matt Matzkin and individual creative department heads manage interim operations.

Key facts

  • Sam Register and Warner Bros. Television Group CEO Channing Dungey mutually agreed not to renew Register's contract, which expires the following week.[Variety · The Hollywood Reporter]
  • Register served as head of Warner Bros. Animation for 18 years, expanded his role to Cartoon Network Studios in 2020, and added Hanna-Barbera Studios Europe in 2021.[Variety · The Hollywood Reporter]
  • During the search for a successor, Matt Matzkin will continue leading business operations while interim creative duties fall to existing department heads Jay Bastian, Jason DeMarco, Audrey Diehl, Sarah Fell, Peter Girardi, and Sammy Perlmutter.[Variety · The Hollywood Reporter]

What remains uncertain

  • No successor has been named yet, and Warner Bros. has not announced a specific timeline for completing its search.[Variety · The Hollywood Reporter]

Sources