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Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Animation

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Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Animation
Company typeDivision
IndustryAnimation
PredecessorStudio:
MGM Animation/Visual Arts
Library:
Sullivan Bluth Studios (through distrbution of animated projects by United Artists & MGM/UA Communications Co.)
Founded1992; 32 years ago (1992)[1]
Founder
  • Paul Sabella
  • Jonathan Dern
Defunct2002; 22 years ago (2002)
FateDormant
SuccessorStudio:
SD Entertainment
Library:
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (films)
MGM Television (TV shows)
ProductsTelevision shows
Feature films
ParentMetro-Goldwyn-Mayer

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Animation (shortened to MGM Animation) was the animation division of the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer motion picture studio in Hollywood, California, that specializes in animated productions for theatrical features and television. It was founded in 1992 and primarily involved in producing children's entertainment based upon MGM's ownership of properties, such as The Pink Panther, The Lionhearts, The Secret of NIMH, and All Dogs Go to Heaven.

The founders, Paul Sabella and Jonathan Dern, left the company in 1999 and founded SD Entertainment. The studio has been dormant since 2002.

Filmography

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Theatrical

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Release date Title Notes
March 29, 1996 All Dogs Go to Heaven 2 co-production with MGM/UA Family Entertainment

Direct-to-video

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Release Date Title Notes
March 4, 1997 MGM Sing-Alongs: Searching for Your Dreams
MGM Sing-Alongs: Friends
MGM Sing-Alongs: Having Fun
MGM Sing-Alongs: Being Happy
October 14, 1997 Babes in Toyland co-production with MGM/UA Family Entertainment
November 17, 1998 An All Dogs Christmas Carol co-production with MGM Family Entertainment
December 22, 1998 The Secret of NIMH 2: Timmy to the Rescue
April 4, 2000 Tom Sawyer

TV series

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Title Year(s) Network Notes
The Pink Panther 1993–1995 Syndication co-production with Mirisch-Geoffrey DePatie-Freleng and United Artists
All Dogs Go to Heaven: The Series 1996–1998 Syndication (1996–1998)
Fox Family Channel (1998)
RoboCop: Alpha Commando 1998–1999 Syndication co-production with Orion Pictures
The Lionhearts 1998

Miscellaneous productions

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Title Year Notes
The Adventures of Hyperman 1995 Video game

Unproduced projects

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Release date Title Type Notes
The Betty Boop Movie 1993 Feature film There were plans for an animated musical feature film of Betty Boop to be MGM Animation's first theatrical animated film, but the plans were later canceled. The musical storyboard scene of the proposed film can be seen online.[2] The finished reel consists of Betty and her estranged father performing a jazz number together called "Where are you?" Jimmy Rowles and Sue Raney provide the vocals for Betty and Benny Boop. Later, All Dogs Go to Heaven 2 became MGM Animation's only theatrical animated film.
Stargate: The Young Explorers 1997 A proposed direct-to-video film based on MGM's Stargate franchise that was announced to be in development alongside Babes in Toyland and The Secret of NIMH II. While the movie was never produced it's possible some of the concepts were incorporated into the animated series Stargate: Infinity.[3]
Noah 1998 According to Animation Magazine, MGM Animation had plans to do a theatrical animated film adaption of comedian Bill Cosby's famous stand up sketch of his take of Noah's Ark with Cosby producing, co-writing the script with Charles Kipps and as the voice of God, while Mel Brooks, Carl Reiner and Jonathan Winters were in talks to voice Noah. However the project was canceled after Cosby's previous films were both commercial and critically failures and more people were becoming aware of Cosby's sex abuse cases.[4][5]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Mancuso, Kirk (July 30, 1994). "Frank Mancuso A Q&A With The MGM CEO". Billboard. p. 55,57. Retrieved November 1, 2019.
  2. ^ Moore Studios Archived May 12, 2013, at the Wayback Machine
  3. ^ "MGM animation taps Fukuto". 16 July 1997.
  4. ^ Mallory, Michael (February 14, 2013). "The Elephant Not in the Room (or Anywhere Else)". Animation Magazine. Retrieved November 1, 2019.
  5. ^ "Cosby's riff on Noah to be MGM toon pic". 18 May 1998.