'Animaniacs' Reboot Showrunner Wellesley Wild Inks Overall Deal With Warner Animation

As competition in the streaming wars intensifies, it seems that overall deals are becoming more commonplace. Studios or broadcasters sign deals with creators to ensure that they get first dibs on whatever they come up with. Several big names in animation have already bagged such deals- for example, Alex Hirsch at Netflix. Now, Warner Bros Animation is the latest studio to offer such a contract.

WBA's first overall deal is with Emmy -nominated writer/producer Wellesley Wild.  The name may not be immediately familiar, but Wild is a frequent collaborator with Seth MacFarlane,  serving a 10-season stint as a writer on Family Guy and co-writer of the movies Ted, Ted 2 and A Million Ways to Die in the West. Perhaps more relevantly, he is also showrunner of the upcoming Animaniacs reboot, coming to Hulu later this year.

This is a pretty strong vote of confidence in Wild, and suggests that Warners (who are producing the reboot) are extremely happy with his work on Animaniacs. 

Wild will "develop, write and produce new animated projects -for both adult, kid and family audiences - at WBA across all platforms, including premium/pay and basic cable channels, streaming/on-demand and digital platforms, and the broadcast networks." Although other Warner Media brands such as Adult Swim and HBO produce adult animation, this will be the first time that WBA itself will enter such territory. Could it be headed for HBO Max?

Although the deal is focussed on animation, it also allows Wild to develop live-action projects with other divisions under the Warner Media umbrella.

"From his impressive run on Family Guy to his notable list of credits, Wellesley knows how to produce quality animation and entertain audiences," says WBA President  Sam Register." The amazing work he is currently doing on Animaniacs is just one example of the versatile storytelling he brings to the Studio. This will be invaluable as we continue to expand our programming focus into more areas, including adult animation."

"Warner Bros. Animation has provided the support, flexibility and passion that top the wish list of any creator, so I’m thrilled to continue our relationship and adding to the legacy of this storied studio," says Wild.

[source: Warner Bros Animation]