Longtime Warner Bros. animation boss Sam Register is departing the company next week as his contract expires, Warner Bros. TV Group chair Channing Dungey announced in a memo to staffers this afternoon. Dungey said she and Register “mutually agreed not to renew his contract,” and that he will be exiting his long-running role as president of Warner Bros. Animation, Cartoon Network Studios and Hanna-Barbera Studios Europe.
“It’s time for me to move on to the next chapter in my life, and I’m grateful to have Channing’s support as I exit Warner Bros Animation,” Register said in a statement shared by Dungey. “It’s been an amazing ride and I want to extend my sincere thanks to all the great people I’ve worked with — we’ve built some incredible things together. I wish you all the best moving forward, and I’m excited to explore all the possibilities in my future.”
In her memo, Dungey acknowledged that news of Register’s exit likely comes as a surprise, and that a search is now underway for his replacement. In the meantime, she added that Matt Matzkin will continue to lead business operations, while creative department heads — Jay Bastian (current series), Jason DeMarco (anime and action series), Audrey Diehl (kids and family), Sarah Fell (Hanna-Barbera Studios, U.K.), Peter Girardi (alternative programming/adult) and Sammy Perlmutter (long form and specials) — will lead their respective departments.
