View source for Nelvana

{{Short description|Canadian animation studio and entertainment company}}
{{Distinguish|Nirvana}}{{About|the Canadian animation company|the superhero and this company's namesake|Nelvana of the Northern Lights}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2016}}
{{Use Canadian English|date=March 2024}}
{{Infobox company
| name = Nelvana Limited
| logo = Nelvana logo 2016.svg
| logo_size = 
| logo_caption = Logo used since 2016
| logo_alt = The production logo for Nelvana Limited, depicting a polar bear, who is looking at Polaris, the North Star. Below the polar bear, the text shows the company name, in blue.
| type = [[Subsidiary]]
| traded_as = {{TSX was|NEL}} (until 2000)<br>{{NASDAQ was|NELV}} (until 2000)
| industry = {{Plainlist|
* [[Animation]]
* Franchise licensing
* Children's entertainment
}}
| predecessor = Laff Arts<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kocmarek |first=Ivan |date=2015-10-07 |title=Patrick Loubert and Michael Hirsh • Comic Book Daily |url=https://www.comicbookdaily.com/collecting-community/whites-tsunami-weca-splashes/patrick-loubert-michael-hirsh/ |access-date=2023-09-18 |website=Comic Book Daily |language=en-CA}}</ref>
| foundation = {{Start date and age|1971|7|30}}
| founders = {{Plainlist|
* [[Michael Hirsh (producer)|Michael Hirsh]]
* [[Patrick Loubert]]
* [[Clive A. Smith]]
}}
| hq_location_city = [[Toronto]], [[Ontario]]
| hq_location_country = Canada
| num_locations = 
| area_served = Worldwide
| key_people = {{Plainlist|
* Rachel Nelson (vice president and head of Corus & Nelvana)
}}
| products = Consisting mainly of children's animation; see also [[list of Nelvana programs]]
| revenue = [[Canadian dollar|C$]]600&nbsp;million (2001)<ref name="kidscreen">{{cite web|url=https://kidscreen.com/2001/05/01/30888-20010501/?print=yes|last=Fitzgerald|first=James|title=Nelvana's 30th Anniversary Profile|work=KidScreen Magazine|date=2001-05-01|access-date=2006-07-01|df=mdy-all}}</ref>
| num_employees = 200+ (2021)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cartoonbrew.com/studios/nelvana-at-50-mapping-out-the-studios-future-with-president-pam-westman-205741.html|title=Nelvana At 50: Mapping Out The Studio's Future With President Pam Westman |last=Dudok de Wit |first=Alex |author-link=Alex Dudok de Wit |work=[[Cartoon Brew]]|date=June 11, 2021|accessdate=June 14, 2021}}</ref>
| parent = [[Corus Entertainment]] (2000–present)
| owner = <!-- Per [[Template:Infobox company]], "If the company is majority-owned by a single entity and as such is a subsidiary or division, omit the owner field and use the parent field instead." -->
| operating_income = 
| net_income = 
| homepage = {{url|www.nelvana.com}}
}}
'''Nelvana Limited''' ({{IPAc-en|n|ɛ|l|ˈ|v|ɑː|n|ə}}; also known as '''Nelvana Enterprises''', '''Nelvana International''' or '''Nelvana Digital'''; commonly known as '''Nelvana'''; stylized in all lowercase) is a Canadian [[animation studio]] and entertainment production company owned by [[Corus Entertainment]] since 2000. Founded in July 30, 1971 by [[Michael Hirsh (producer)|Michael Hirsh]], [[Patrick Loubert]], and [[Clive A. Smith]], it was named after [[Nelvana of the Northern Lights]], the first Canadian national superhero, who was created by [[Adrian Dingle (artist)|Adrian Dingle]]. The company's production logo is a [[polar bear]] looking at [[North Star|Polaris]], the North Star.

The company is based in [[Toronto]], [[Ontario]], Canada in North America and it maintained international offices in France, Ireland and Japan, as well as smaller offices in the top three cities in the U.S. Many of its films, shows and specials were based on licensed properties and literature, but original programming was also part of its roster. Although the company specializes in children's media, Nelvana has also co-produced [[adult animation]]s like the first season of ''[[Clone High]]'', ''[[John Callahan's Quads!]]'', ''[[Bob & Margaret]]'', and ''[[Committed (Canadian TV series)|Committed]]''.

Nelvana International distributes three [[Nickelodeon]] shows―''[[Taina (TV series)|Taina]]'', the first five seasons of ''[[The Fairly OddParents]]''<!--It has never been produced by Nelvana outside of the USA. Any removal will be considered vandalizing.-->,<ref name="thefreelibrary">[https://web.archive.org/web/20151017082315/http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Corus'+Nelvana+expands+strategic+relationship+with+Nickelodeon+for...-a076747013. "Corus' Nelvana expands strategic relationship with Nickelodeon for international distribution of "Taina's World" and "The Fairly Odd Parents""]. The Free Library. Retrieved January 6, 2014.</ref> and ''[[The Backyardigans]]'' (a co-production with [[Nick Jr.]]) and ''[[Max & Ruby]]'' (a co-production with [[9 Story Media Group]]). {{As of|2001}}, its library comprised more than 1,650 cumulative half-hours of original programming.<ref name="kidscreen"/>

==History==
===Laff Arts===
[[Michael Hirsh (producer)|Michael Hirsh]] and [[Patrick Loubert]] first met as friends and partners at [[York University]], [[Canada]] in 1967.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kocmarek |first=Ivan |date=2015-10-07 |title=Patrick Loubert and Michael Hirsh • Comic Book Daily |url=https://www.comicbookdaily.com/collecting-community/whites-tsunami-weca-splashes/patrick-loubert-michael-hirsh/ |access-date=2023-09-18 |website=Comic Book Daily |language=en-CA}}</ref> They made films with other students. This was Loubert's first experience with filming; he recalled:

{{blockquote|I had been hitchhiking in Europe during the previous summer, and I got a ride with an Italian film director visiting locations. I hadn't heard of him. When I got home I looked up his films – it was [[Gillo Pontecorvo]], a brilliant political filmmaker who had directed ''[[The Battle of Algiers]]''. That was the beginning for me.}}

The fledgling Canadian television and film industry was developing at the time. Loubert, Hirsh, and York University friends Jack Christie and Peter Dewdney founded a small company named Laff Arts that produced small experimental films. They were joined by [[Vitaphone]] animator-designer [[Clive A. Smith]] in [[Toronto]], [[Ontario]]; Smith's interest was in [[rock n' roll]] music, and helped produce [[the Beatles]]' [[The Beatles (TV series)|animated series]] and 1968 film ''[[Yellow Submarine (film)|Yellow Submarine]]'' before moving to Canada to work on short films and commercials.

Smith designed the company's [[business card]]; on the front was a suited businessman, and inside was the businessman with the pants down. The company was dissolved after an ad agency advised them that the company's name was unprofessional.

===Nelvana===
[[File:Nelvana Polar Bear.svg|thumb|Nelvana's mascot, the polar bear, which first appeared in ''[[The Devil and Daniel Mouse]]'' (1978)]]
Nelvana was founded by Hirsh, Loubert, and Smith in 1971. Hirsh recalls:

{{blockquote|At the time, there was no production industry per se in Canada, either in animation or in television production. There were stations making local shows, but you didn't have people making programs for sale around the world. So, blissfully unaware of all it would involve, we decided to start a company in Toronto.}}

They bought ownership rights to a collection of local [[comic book]]s from the 1940s and then produced a half-hour television documentary focused on Canadian comics for the [[Canadian Broadcasting Corporation]] (CBC). Their two-year travelling tour of the art from the [[National Gallery of Canada]], "Comic Art Traditions in Canada, 1941–45", gave locals a chance to revisit the country's past heritage in that field.<ref>[http://www.internationalhero.co.uk/c/canada.htm "Canadian Heroes" page] at Internationalhero.co.uk. Retrieved July 10, 2006.</ref> Meanwhile, Hirsh and Loubert collaborated on a related primer from Peter Martin and Associates, ''[[The Great Canadian Comic Books]]''. During this time the new company was named Nelvana after [[World War II]]-era Canadian comic book [[superheroine]] [[Nelvana of the Northern Lights]].

A derelict apartment in downtown Toronto served as the company's first building, and a homemade wooden stand mounted over a toilet was among its first camera equipment. "To create zooms," Hirsh recalled of his early experience with this machine, "we would pile up phone books under the art work." During their first year and a half, the trio lived off a superfluous [[Chargex]] credit card that Loubert received at university, spending up to C$7,500 on it before they reclaimed double that cost as their first ever transaction.<ref name="kidscreen"/> Under those conditions, Nelvana was involved in the production of documentaries and live-action films during the early 1970s. In the area of part-time animation work, they made ten C$1,500 [[filler (media)|filler]]s for the CBC.

Among the studio's first productions was a low-budget CBC [[short subject]] series, ''[[Small Star Cinema]]'', which combined live-action and animation to tell stories of ordinary life from a child's point of view. It was followed by Nelvana's first ever television special ''[[Christmas Two Step]]'' in 1975, a similarly styled special in which a girl tries to be a lead dancer at a Christmas pageant. When Nelvana was founded in 1971, their original goal was to make live-action programs involving animation in them during their early days.

Nelvana worked on their first television specials: ''[[A Cosmic Christmas]]'' (1977), ''[[The Devil and Daniel Mouse]]'' (1978), ''[[Romie-0 and Julie-8]]'' (1979), ''Please Don't Eat the Planet'' (better known by its subtitle, ''[[Intergalactic Thanksgiving]]'') (1979), ''[[Easter Fever]]'' (1980) and ''[[Take Me Up to the Ball Game]]'' (1980). During that time, [[George Lucas]], who was impressed with ''A Cosmic Christmas'',<ref name="kidscreen"/> commissioned the company to work on a 10-minute sequence for the [[CBS]] and [[CTV Television Network|CTV]] TV film ''[[Star Wars Holiday Special]]'' in 1978. This short scene, officially entitled "The Faithful Wookiee", features the voices of [[Harrison Ford]], [[Mark Hamill]], [[Carrie Fisher]], [[Anthony Daniels]] and [[James Earl Jones]], and introduced the bounty hunter [[Boba Fett]].

===1980s===
At the beginning of the 1980s, Nelvana chose to co-produce its first feature film, ''[[Rock & Rule]]'', over working on ''[[Heavy Metal (film)|Heavy Metal]]'', internationally-produced animated science fiction anthology. ''Rock & Rule'' was inspired by ''The Devil and Daniel Mouse'', took five years to produce and cost $8 million, using all of the studio's resources. The film was released by [[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer|MGM/UA]] in 1983 with little promotion in the U.S. and was a financial failure. The company survived by working full-time on children's television series. These included its first three live-action franchises (''[[The Edison Twins]]'', ''[[20 Minute Workout]]'' and ''[[Mr. Microchip]]''), the first season of ''[[Inspector Gadget (1983 TV series)|Inspector Gadget]]'' with [[DIC Entertainment]], and the pilot episode of ''[[The Get Along Gang#TV series|The Get Along Gang]]''.

Early in the decade, the company worked on four television specials based on [[American Greetings]] properties. They were ''[[The Magic of Herself the Elf]]'', based on [[Mattel]]'s [[Herself the Elf|toy line]]; ''[[Strawberry Shortcake: Housewarming Surprise]]''; ''[[Strawberry Shortcake and the Baby Without a Name]]''; and ''[[Strawberry Shortcake Meets the Berrykins]]'', the last three of which featured the [[Strawberry Shortcake|eponymous doll]]. There were two shows made by Nelvana based on the AmToy properties, ''[[Madballs]]'' and ''[[My Pet Monster]]''.

Despite the successes of their earlier works, perhaps its greatest success at the time came in the form of the [[Care Bears]], thanks to its acquisition of the character rights from American Greetings, the franchise owners. In early 1985, [[The Care Bears Movie|the first film based on the toy line]] turned the company's assets around, grossing US$23&nbsp;million in the U.S., and another [[Canadian dollar|$]]1.5&nbsp;million in its native Canada. Its tremendous success gave way to two more feature films, ''[[Care Bears Movie II: A New Generation|A New Generation]]'' and ''[[The Care Bears Adventure in Wonderland|Adventure in Wonderland]]'', as well as a [[The Care Bears Family|television series]].<ref>DiC Entertainment also made 22 episodes of the Care Bears series before Nelvana reclaimed the rights for the animated franchise.</ref>
<!-- Since this is a GA, please find a source or two for this:
In addition, Nelvana hired [[Gordon Stanfield Animation (GSA)]] in Vancouver for episode storyboarding of the ''Care Bears'' series. The latter worked on many of Nelvana's programs afterward. -->

In the area of science fiction, Nelvana co-produced ''[[Star Wars: Droids|Droids]]'' and ''[[Ewoks (TV series)|Ewoks]]'', two Saturday-morning series based on ''[[Star Wars]]''. At one point, there was talk of an animated CBS show from the studio, based on the [[BBC]]'s ''[[Doctor Who]]''; the plan never came to fruition,<ref>{{cite book|last = Lofficier|first = Jean-Marc|title = The Nth Doctor|publisher = Virgin Publishing|year = 1997|pages = 9|url = https://www.lofficier.com/nthdoctor.htm|isbn = 0-426-20499-9}}</ref> but concept art was created by [[Charles E. Bastien|Ted Bastien]].<ref>{{cite news|title=CBC Television - The Planet of the Doctor ("Ted Bastien's Nelvana photo gallery.")|publisher=CBC Television|url=https://www.cbc.ca/planetofthedoctor/tb_gallery.html|url-status=dead|access-date=January 27, 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051201024349/http://www.cbc.ca/planetofthedoctor/tb_gallery.html|archive-date=December 1, 2005}}</ref>

For [[Orion Pictures]]' [[1986 in film|1986 live-action western comedy]], ''[[Three Amigos]]'', the company made use of lip-sync animation for a musical sequence in which the main characters sing a song at a campfire, with their horses singing along. In 1987, Michael Hirsh co-produced Nelvana's first self-made film of this calibre, the comedy feature ''[[Burglar (film)|Burglar]]'', which was the first live-action feature film the company had ever co-produced.<ref>{{Cite news|date=1986-07-02|title=Nelvana Plans First Live-Action Feature, 'Burglar' For Warners|page=17|work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]}}</ref>

Also in 1987, the company, along with independent filmmaker [[Pierre David (film producer)|Pierre David]], film, video, and television production company [[Malofilm|Malofilm Group]], and home video distributor New Star Entertainment, formed Image Organization, an independent production company that mainly specialized in the thriller genre and tied itself to over 100 films in the international market by 1996.<ref>{{Cite web|title=2019 Speaker Bios D-F|url=https://americanfilmmarket.com/2019-speaker-bios-d-f/|access-date=2021-04-20|website=American Film Market|language=en-US|archive-date=April 22, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240422214824/https://americanfilmmarket.com/2019-speaker-bios-d-f/|url-status=dead}}</ref> Nelvana and New Star would sell their shares in the company to David and Malofilm in 1989.

In 1988, Nelvana and [[Scholastic Corporation]] co-produced a video series of [[Clifford the Big Red Dog (1988 series)|The Video Adventures of Clifford the Big Red Dog]] based on the 1962 book. It was also distributed by [[Family Home Entertainment]] on the video releases.

The company's fourth live-action series, ''[[T. and T.]]'', premiered in 1988 on Canada's [[Global Television Network|Global]] network. The show's titular duo was [[Mr. T]] of ''[[The A-Team|A-Team]]'' fame, playing a former boxer named T.S. Turner, and Canadian actress Kristina Nicoll as an East Coast lawyer by the name of Terri Taler. Nelvana faced bankruptcy for the second time when the show's original U.S. distributor, [[Halcyon Studios|Qintex Entertainment]] (formerly Hal Roach Studios) was going out of business; in six weeks, they were saved when they found a replacement.<ref name="sob">{{cite web |last=Daly |first=John |date=2001-01-31 |title=The Toughest SOBs in Business |url=https://secure.globeadvisor.com/servlet/ArticleNews/story/LAC/20030131/RO3SOBS/TPBusiness/ROBM |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927092601/https://secure.globeadvisor.com/servlet/ArticleNews/story/LAC/20030131/RO3SOBS/TPBusiness/ROBM |archive-date=27 September 2007 |access-date=2006-07-10 |website=[[The Globe and Mail]] |df=mdy-all}}</ref> Also that year, Nelvana established BearSpots, a facility for producing television commercials that lasted until 1993.<ref name="kidscreen"/>

As the decade came to a close, the revived Nelvana had its next big success with [[Babar: The Movie|a film]] and an [[HBO]] [[Babar (TV series)|television show]] based on [[Jean de Brunhoff]]'s ''Babar'' book series. This franchise, its first [[international co-production]], won many [[CableACE Award|ACE Awards]] in the U.S. and [[Gemini Award|Geminis]] in Canada. In September 1989, ABC began to air ''[[Beetlejuice (TV series)|Beetlejuice]]'', a show co-produced by Nelvana and based on [[Beetlejuice|the film]] by [[Tim Burton]].

===1990s===
Following ''Babar''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s success, the studio acquired the rights to animated series based on [[Hergé]]'s ''[[The Adventures of Tintin]]'', [[Maurice Sendak]]'s [[Little Bear (book series)|''Little Bear'']], [[Joanna Cole (author)|Joanna Cole]]'s ''[[The Magic School Bus (book series)|The Magic School Bus]]'' and the British comic strip ''[[Rupert Bear]]''. Nelvana had self-made successes of its own during the 1990s, such as ''[[Eek! The Cat]]'', ''[[Dog City]]'' (with [[The Jim Henson Company]]) and ''[[Ned's Newt]]'' (with TMO Film GmbH). Less successful was its animated series for children, [[Roseanne Barr]]'s ''[[Little Rosey]]'',<!--NOTE: Roseanne did NOT provide the voice of Little Rosey but it is rumoured she might have had the series been renewed.--> for the [[American Broadcasting Company]], which was cancelled in 1991, after its first season.

In Autumn 1993, Nelvana signed a multi-year project to co-produce five feature films for [[Paramount Pictures]], with [[Kathleen Kennedy (film producer)|Kathleen Kennedy]] and [[Frank Marshall (film producer)|Frank Marshall]] co-producing; the first two began co-production the following summer, at a cost of over US$20&nbsp;million each.<ref>McRoberts, Kenneth (1995). ''Beyond Quebec: Taking Stock of Canada'', p. 175. McGills-Queens University Press. {{ISBN|0-7735-1314-0}}. Retrieved June 22, 2006.</ref><ref>Maddever, Mary (September 11, 1995). [http://www.playbackmag.com/articles/magazine/19950911/4653.html "Nelvana boosts feature involvement"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927001619/http://www.playbackmag.com/articles/magazine/19950911/4653.html |date=September 27, 2007 }}. ''[[Playback (magazine)|Playback]]''. Retrieved July 2, 2006.</ref> Three of the projects were based on books by [[E. B. White]] (''[[The Trumpet of the Swan]]''), [[Clive Barker]] (''[[The Thief of Always]]'') and [[Graeme Base]] (''[[The Sign of the Seahorse]]''); an original co-production called ''Mask Vision'' was also in the works.<ref>Tolusso, Susan (March 28, 1994). [http://www.playbackmag.com/articles/magazine/19940328/3345.html?page=2 "Nelvana joins the public procession..."] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070929083529/http://www.playbackmag.com/articles/magazine/19940328/3345.html?page=2 |date=September 29, 2007 }} ''[[Playback (magazine)|Playback]]''. Retrieved June 30, 2006.</ref>

However, none of those films ever made it past the finishing stage. During the 1990s, another set of features from Nelvana was distributed by various companies. A 1993 live-action psychological thriller called ''[[Malice (1993 film)|Malice]]'' came out under the [[Columbia Pictures]] banner; 1997 saw the studio's retelling of ''[[Pippi Longstocking (1997 film)|Pippi Longstocking]]'' from [[Warner Bros.]]; and ''[[Babar: King of the Elephants]]'' was released in Canada by [[Alliance Atlantis]] in 1999. Among them, only ''Malice'' would go on to achieve box-office success in North America. Its US$46&nbsp;million gross was the highest ever attained by a Nelvana co-production,<ref>[https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0107497/business Box office data for ''Malice''] at the [[IMDb]]. Retrieved June 22, 2006.</ref> doubling what the first ''Care Bears Movie'' received during its original release.

In 1993, Nelvana along with Galaxy Films and De Souza Productions co-produced ''[[Cadillacs and Dinosaurs (TV series)|Cadillacs and Dinosaurs]]'' for the CBS network, based on the comic book of the same name (formally known as ''[[Xenozoic Tales]]'') by [[Mark Schultz (comics)|Mark Schultz]]. It only lasted one season.

In September 1995, Nelvana co-produced ''Nancy Drew'' and ''The Hardy Boys'' based on the popular well-known book series. Tracy Ryan portrayed [[Nancy Drew]] while Colin Gray and Paul Popowich portrayed [[List of The Hardy Boys characters#Frank Hardy|Frank]] and [[List of The Hardy Boys characters#Joe Hardy|Joe Hardy]], respectively. In addition, Jehene Erwin and Joy Tanner portrayed Bess Marvin and [[George Fayne]], respectively, on ''Nancy Drew'', while Fiona Highet played new character Kate Craigen. The series were based on ''[[The Nancy Drew Files]]'' and [[List of Hardy Boys books#The Hardy Boys Casefiles|''The Hardy Boys Casefiles'']]. However, the series was not distributed well, mostly due to it being in first-run syndication, and both series were cancelled in December.

In September 1996, [[Golden Books Family Entertainment]] was in talks to acquire the company for US$102&nbsp;million,<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/1996/09/26/business/golden-books-is-negotiating-to-buy-nelvana.html Golden Books is Negotiating to Buy Nelvana]. (1996, September 26.) ''[[New York Times]]''. Retrieved June 29, 2006.</ref> just after having purchased the family video library of Broadway Video Entertainment, a subsidiary of [[Broadway Video]].<ref>{{Cite news|agency=Reuters|date=July 31, 1996|title=THE MEDIA BUSINESS; Golden Books Agrees to Buy a Video Library|newspaper=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1996/07/31/business/the-media-business-golden-books-agrees-to-buy-a-video-library.html}}</ref> Many of the company's staff members, including Smith and Loubert, expressed interest in the proposition. But Hirsh went up against it, arguing with then [[Chief Operating Officer|COO]] Eleanor Olmsted about its possible effects on his institution. Two months later Golden Books withdrew from the deal stating that they would concentrate more on children's entertainment.<ref name="sob"/><ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/1996/11/05/business/golden-books-withdraws-offer-for-nelvana.html Golden Books Withdraws Offer for Nelvana.] (1996, November 5.) ''New York Times.'' Retrieved June 29, 2006.</ref><ref>{{cite web|date=November 5, 1996|title=Nelvana says takeover over|url=https://hollywoodreporter.com/m.shtml|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19961105233638/http://hollywoodreporter.com/m.shtml|archive-date=November 5, 1996|access-date=August 11, 2019|magazine=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]}}</ref>

In November 1996, [[Virgin Interactive]] released ''[[Toonstruck]]'', a [[Personal computer|PC]]-based [[adventure game]] featuring animation and artwork co-produced by Nelvana and Rainbow Animation. The game was set in an animated world using traditional 2D animation, but also featured the digitized likeness of actor [[Christopher Lloyd]] as a live-action character trapped in the animated world interacting with the cartoon characters around him. A sequel to the game was planned, but was cancelled due to poor sales.

In 1997, a small [[computer animation]] company called [[Windlight Studios]] was absorbed into Nelvana's assets. Its co-founder, Scott Dyer, became Nelvana's senior vice-president in charge of production in late 2001.<ref name=much_ado>Maule, Christopher J. and Acheson, Archibald Lloyd Keith (2001). ''Much Ado About Culture: North American Trade Disputes'', p. 122. University of Michigan Press. {{ISBN|0-472-08789-4}}. Retrieved June 22, 2006.</ref><ref name=loubert>Yaffe, Samatha (November 20, 2001). [http://www.playbackmag.com/articles/magazine/20011126/loubert.html "Loubert goes solo in wave of consolidation"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927000424/http://www.playbackmag.com/articles/magazine/20011126/loubert.html |date=September 27, 2007 }}. ''[[Playback (magazine)|Playback]]''. Retrieved July 6, 2006.</ref>

In late 1997, Nelvana and the [[United Kingdom]]'s [[Channel 4]] began work on ''[[Bob and Margaret]]'', the company's first animated franchise for adults since ''Rock & Rule''. It was based on the [[National Film Board of Canada]]'s ''[[Bob's Birthday]]'', an [[Academy Award]] [[Academy Award for Animated Short Film|winner for Best Short]], which Channel 4 also co-produced.<ref name="much_ado"/>

In December 1997, Nelvana began distributing a syndicated programming block, the Nelvana Kidz Klub, through MediaVentures International, a Chicago-based distributor. The block was offered internationally on a barter program distribution model with one–two hours of daily sections or three–four hours of the weekend block.<ref>{{cite journal|title=Nelvana Creates Kidz Klub|journal=Animation World Magazine|date=December 1997|volume=2|issue=9|url=https://www.awn.com/mag/issue2.9/2.9pages/2.9television.html|access-date=March 31, 2015}}</ref>

In 1998, Nelvana entered into an agreement with U.S. network [[CBS]] to program a new Saturday morning animation block for the 1998-99 television season, which would be branded as [[CBS Kidshow]]. The block would feature six new series based on children's book properties, and all were to comply with the U.S. government's [[E/I|educational programming guidelines]].<ref>{{cite web|title=The CBS Kidshow|url=https://kidscreen.com/1998/09/01/22601-19980901/|author=Virginia Robertson|work=KidScreen|date=September 1, 1998|access-date=November 21, 2010}}</ref> In April 1998, Nelvana entered into an agreement with [[ITV (TV network)|ITV]] franchise [[Scottish Television]] to co-produce these new series, and hold distribution rights to them in the United Kingdom.<ref name="kidscreen-cbsste">{{cite web|title=STE partners with Nelvana in CBS deal|url=https://kidscreen.com/1998/04/01/21288-19980401/|website=Kidscreen|access-date=24 August 2016}}</ref> In August 1998, Nelvana acquired [[Kids Can Press]], publishers of the ''[[Franklin the Turtle (books)|Franklin]]'' and ''[[Elliot Moose (TV series)|Elliot Moose]]'' children's books upon which the ''[[Franklin (TV series)|Franklin]]'' and ''[[Elliot Moose (TV series)|Elliot Moose]]'' were based. This turned them into an "integrated company" in which Kids Can's subsequent publications would begin with Nelvana's franchising of those works.<ref>Klein, Naomi (2002). ''No Logo: No Space, No Choice, No Jobs'', p. 147. Picador. {{ISBN|0-312-42143-5}}. Retrieved June 22, 2006.</ref>

The company's first two computer-animated shows, ''[[Donkey Kong Country (TV series)|Donkey Kong Country]]'' (with Medialab) and ''[[Rolie Polie Olie]]'' (with Métal Hurlant Productions and Paris-based [[Sparx*]]), premiered on U.S. television in 1998.{{citation needed|date=August 2016}}

In March 1999, Nelvana reported a 75% increase in earnings in 1998, credited to increased original production and sales of its library programming, the deal with CBS, and the addition of a publishing business with the acquisition of Kids Can Press.<ref name="variety-scoressuccess">{{cite web|title=Nelvana scores success|url=https://variety.com/1999/biz/news/nelvana-scores-success-1117492354/|website=Variety|date=March 17, 1999 |access-date=24 August 2016}}</ref> In August 1999, Nelvana announced a US$40&nbsp;million deal to produce six new series based on popular children's books for a planned [[PBS]] block.<ref>Collins, Geneva (August 16, 1999). [https://current.org/ch/ch915c.html "Public TV again turns to Canada for kidvid"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060301170408/http://www.current.org/ch/ch915c.html |date=March 1, 2006 }}. ''[[Current.org]]''. Retrieved June 23, 2006.</ref> The six series—''[[Corduroy (TV series)|Corduroy]]'', ''[[Elliot Moose (TV series)|Elliot Moose]]'', ''[[Timothy Goes to School]]'', ''[[Seven Little Monsters (TV series)|Seven Little Monsters]]'', ''[[George Shrinks]]'', and ''[[Marvin the Tap-Dancing Horse]]''—were launched the following September as part of the ''[[PBS Kids Bookworm Bunch]]'' line-up.<ref>Bedford, Karen Everhart (July 31, 2000). [https://current.org/ch/ch014bkworm.html "New offerings from PBS and Nick Jr./CBS"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060619125416/http://www.current.org/ch/ch014bkworm.html |date=June 19, 2006 }}. ''[[Current.org]]''. Retrieved June 23, 2006.</ref> That same month, it acquired the North American rights to its first anime property, [[Clamp (manga artists)|Clamp]]'s ''[[Cardcaptor Sakura]]'' (which was renamed ''Cardcaptors'' for its English dub).<ref>Ross, Carlos (August 9, 1999). [https://www.themanime.org/editorials.php?id=6 Of All Things Nelvana and Cardcaptor Sakura]. ''[[THEM Anime Reviews]]''. Retrieved June 24, 2006.</ref>

===2000s===
[[File:Nelvana_(Canada)_logo.svg|220x124px|thumb|alt=A production logo for Nelvana Limited, depicting a company name with blue-outlines, with the byline seen below.|Logo without the mascot, used from September 7, 2004 to October 18, 2016.]]
In April 2000, Nelvana announced that it had filed for two [[Category B services|category 2]] television licences from the [[Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission]] to launch [[digital cable]] channels.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/digital-tv-channel-applications-swamp-crtc/article25459559/|title=Digital TV channel applications swamp CRTC|first=Sussane|last=Craig|date=April 5, 2000|access-date=November 5, 2017|work=[[The Globe and Mail]]}}</ref> The first, titled "The Nelvana Channel", would have presented the company's library of material alongside related information in a [[picture-in-picture]] format. The second, "Booknet", was to be focused on adaptations of adult and children's literature, and would have been a 60/40 joint venture between [[Corus Entertainment]] and Nelvana.<ref>{{cite press release |date=April 4, 2000 |title=Nelvana announces proposed digital television networks |url=https://www.newswire.ca/releases/April2000/04/c0560/ |url-status=dead |location=Toronto |publisher=Nelvana |agency=[[CNW Group]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000903072453/http://www.newswire.ca/releases/April2000/04/c0560.html |archive-date=September 3, 2000 |access-date=November 5, 2017 |df=mdy-all }}</ref> The channels were approved that following November.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/crtc-approves-262-category-2-channels-1.232812|title=CRTC approves 262 Category 2 channels|work=[[Canadian Broadcasting Corporation]]|date=November 25, 2000|access-date=November 5, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://crtc.gc.ca/eng/archive/2000/DB2000-634.htm|title=ARCHIVED - Decision CRTC 2000-634|date=December 14, 2000|access-date=November 5, 2017|work=[[Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite press release|url=https://www.corusent.com/news/corus-entertainment-wins-big-in-digital-specialty-television-licensing/|date=November 27, 2000|title=Corus Entertainment wins big in digital specialty television licensing|publisher=[[Corus Entertainment]]|access-date=November 5, 2017}}</ref> Both licences expired as neither launched by the required date of November 24, 2004.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://crtc.gc.ca/eng/archive/2003/db2003-599.htm|title=ARCHIVED - Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2003-599|work=[[Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission]]|date=December 16, 2003|access-date=November 5, 2017}}</ref>

On April 14, 2000, Nelvana announced its purchase of the [[Palo Alto, California|Palo Alto]]-based children's book publisher [[Klutz Press|Klutz]] in a US$74&nbsp;million deal—at that time, its largest buyout ever<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20070927231853/http://www.allbusiness.com/technology/606314-1.html "Nelvana Buys Book Publisher"] at [[AllBusiness.com]]. Retrieved June 30, 2006.</ref>—and integrated it into its Branded Consumer Products division. The company, founded in 1977, was best known for its children's series, ''Books Plus''. Nelvana's separate subsidiary, Kids Can, began taking advantage of the acquisition by making its output available through Klutz merchandise.<ref>Shirkani, K.D. (April 13, 2000). [https://variety.com/2000/more/news/nelvana-adds-klutz-books-to-kids-shelf-1117780540/ Nelvana adds Klutz books to kids shelf]. ''Variety Magazine''. Retrieved June 30, 2006.</ref>

In September 2000, Corus bought Nelvana for $540 million. The company saw the purchase as being a complement to its children's television networks, including [[YTV (Canadian TV channel)|YTV]] and [[Treehouse TV|Treehouse]].<ref name="gandm-nelvanabuy">{{cite news|title=Corus to buy Nelvana for $540-million|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/corus-to-buy-nelvana-for-540-million/article1190841/|access-date=March 12, 2016|work=The Globe and Mail}}</ref>

A year after Corus' purchase, co-founders and co-[[Chief Executive Officer|CEOs]] Loubert and Smith left the studio. Loubert voluntarily left in November after Corus eliminated 50 positions from the staff, saying "The time has come that Corus will stop acquiring for a while and start operating. [[John Cassaday]]<ref>Cassaday is the president and CEO of Corus Entertainment. ''('''NB''': His name should not be confused with that of the [[John Cassaday|comic book artist]].)''</ref> has made that clear, but this makes my job less rather than more".<ref name="loubert"/>

In 2001, Nelvana acquired the rights to the English-language version of yet another anime series, ''[[Medabots]]''. The following January, ''[[Beyblade (manga)|Beyblade]]'' (in association with [[Hasbro]] and [[Mitsubishi Corporation|Mitsubishi]]) became its third such property.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20070929133412/http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=%2Fwww%2Fstory%2F01-10-2002%2F0001645447&EDATE= "Nelvana Spins a Deal to Bring Beyblade Phenomenon to North America"]. 2002, January 10. [[PR Newswire]]. Retrieved June 24, 2006.</ref>

On November 5, 2001, Nelvana purchased all propetiary rights to ''Babar'', excluding the franchise's publishing rights from the de Brunhoff family.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.awn.com/news/nelvana-picks-babar|title=Nelvana Picks Up Babar|date=2001-11-06|access-date=2025-04-01|work=Animation World Magazine|first=Leigh|last=Godfrey}}</ref>

In October 2002, Corus announced Hirsh's resignation; the following month, [[Paul W. Robertson|Paul Robertson]], former president of Corus Television and head of [[YTV (Canadian TV channel)|YTV]], became leader of the studio's senior management. With Hirsh's departure, Corus announced a C$200&nbsp;million writedown for the company; by next August, it planned to reduce the staff down to 200. Hirsh has also taken an advisory role in the studio.<ref name="sob"/><ref>Ball, Ryan (October 23, 2002). [https://www.animationmagazine.net/article.php?article_id=641 "Nelvana CEO Hirsh Steps Down"]. Animation Magazine. Retrieved June 23, 2006.</ref><ref>Ball, Ryan (November 6, 2002). [https://www.animationmagazine.net/article.php?article_id=484 "Corus Ent. Names Hirsh's Nelvana Successor"]. ''[[Animation Magazine]]''. Retrieved June 24, 2006.</ref><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20031227034324/http://www.worldscreen.com/featuresarchive.php?filename=0503canada.txt "Focus on Canada"], June 2003. ''WorldScreen.com''. Retrieved July 2, 2006.</ref><ref>[http://goliath.ecnext.com/coms2/gi_0199-2234884/Corus-Entertainment-announces-fiscal-2002.html ''Corus Entertainment announces fiscal 2002 year-end results; Year-End Debt Target Achieved.''], ''Goliath Business News''. Retrieved July 18, 2011.</ref>

The following September, Corus launched their home entertainment division. US-based [[FUNimation]], along with British company [[Maverick (company)|Maverick]], has distributed titles from the studio with this label, including ''[[Redwall (TV series)|Redwall]]'', ''[[Pecola (TV series)|Pecola]]'', ''[[Tales from the Cryptkeeper]]'', ''Timothy Goes to School'' and the holiday special ''The Santa Claus Brothers''.<ref>Ball, Ryan (September 25, 2003). [https://www.animationmagazine.net/article.php?article_id=1570 "Nelvana Home Entertainment Launched"]. Animation Magazine. Retrieved June 24, 2006.</ref> Nelvana's newer titles have been distributed by MGM, [[Starz Entertainment|Lionsgate]] and [[A.D. Vision|ADV Films]], which have no involvement with the label. In 2007, home video distribution rights for the company's catalogue were transferred to [[Shout! Studios|Shout! Factory]].

In 2004, the studio co-produced an animation [[Anthology series|anthology]], which included 10 recurring shorts. Titled ''Funpak'', it aired on [[YTV (Canadian TV channel)|YTV]] for 13 weeks starting in February 2005, with the winning short announced to be greenlit in May of that year. One of the shorts, ''Sidekick'', was the one adapted into [[Sidekick (TV series)|a successful cartoon series from 2010–2013]].

In May 2006, [[NBCUniversal|NBC Universal]] announced a joint venture with Nelvana, [[Ion Media Networks]], [[Scholastic Corporation|Scholastic]], and [[Classic Media]], known as [[Qubo]], which aimed to operate a multi-platform children's educational television brand in the U.S. featuring programming from its partners.<ref name=mcn-qubo>{{cite web|title=Qubo's Rodriguez: Offering a 'Building Block' to Kids|url=https://www.nexttv.com/news/qubo-s-rodriguez-offering-building-block-kids-367423|author=Luis Clemens|periodical=[[Multichannel News]]|date=February 16, 2008|access-date=September 23, 2014}}</ref>

In September 2006, a major split for Nelvana was announced: the company's studio operations (under the Nelvana Studios name) was integrated into Corus' children's television division, headed by executive vice-president and general manager Scott Dyer who, in addition to Nelvana, oversaw YTV, Treehouse  and [[Nickelodeon (Canadian TV channel)|Discovery Kids Canada]] while Nelvana Enterprises, was created in the process, handling international distribution of the company's library as well as licensing for Nelvana's properties and Corus' properties outside of Canada. [[Doug Murphy]] became president of the new distribution and licensing unit.<ref name="re-order">Ball, Ryan (September 12, 2006). "[https://www.animationmagazine.net/2006/09/corus-makes-changes-at-nelvana Corus Makes Changes at Nelvana]". ''Animation Magazine''. Retrieved October 7, 2006.</ref>

In October 2006, Nelvana announced a co-production agreement with Canadian toy maker [[Spin Master]] and Japanese partners [[TMS Entertainment]], [[Sega Fave|Sega Toys]] and Japan Vistec to create the new anime property ''[[Bakugan Battle Brawlers]]''.<ref>{{cite press release|url=https://www.corusent.com/news/toy-and-animation-industry-consortium-collaborates-on-new-boys-action-franchise-and-forms-joint-production-committee/|title=Toy and Animation Industry Consortium Collaborates on New Boys Action Franchise and Forms Joint Production Committee|date=October 9, 2006|access-date=February 11, 2019|publisher=[[Corus Entertainment]]|location=Cannes|archive-date=August 2, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210802235806/https://www.corusent.com/news/toy-and-animation-industry-consortium-collaborates-on-new-boys-action-franchise-and-forms-joint-production-committee/|url-status=dead}}</ref> The series debuted in Canada on [[Cartoon Network (Canada)|Teletoon]] the following summer and became a quick success. In 2008, merchandising rights were sold by Nelvana to [[Cartoon Network]] in the U.S., and the series began airing on the channel in February 2008. The initial incarnation of the franchise ran for four seasons, spanning 189 episodes and stimulated billions in merchandise sales.

===2010s===
<!-- Deleted image removed: [[File:Nelvana (2004-2018).svg|thumb|right|alt=Nelvana, a [[Corus Entertainment]] company|Logo from 2004 to 2018. It would be used in tandem with the 2016 logo until the former's retirement in 2018.]] -->
Following ''Bakugan'', Nelvana entered into another anime co-production, this time reviving the ''Beyblade'' property with [[d-rights]], [[Takara Tomy]] and [[Hasbro]].<ref>{{cite press release|title=Nelvana Announces The Return of Beyblade -The Spinning Top Toy Phenomenon|url=https://www.corusent.com/news/nelvana-announces-the-return-of-beyblade-the-spinning-top-toy-phenomenon/|date=June 2, 2009|access-date=February 11, 2019|location=Las Vegas|publisher=[[Corus Entertainment]]}}</ref> ''[[Beyblade: Metal Fusion]]'' debuted globally in 2010, running for 167 episodes before inspiring a sub-franchise consisting of ''[[BeyWheelz]]'', ''[[BeyWarriors: BeyRaiderz]]'' and ''[[BeyWarriors: Cyborg]]''.

Their next program ''[[Mike the Knight]]'' debuted in 2011, a co-production between [[HIT Entertainment]] aired on [[Treehouse TV]] and [[CBeebies]] later in the year.

''[[Detentionaire]]'' was produced between 2011 and 2015. Created for Teletoon, the show has also been aired internationally, including on [[ABC3]], and has been released on a digital platform provided by Cartoon Network.

In 2012, Corus Entertainment acquired Canadian animation software developer [[Toon Boom]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Corus Entertainment Inc. Significant Events Fiscal 2012|url=https://corus.media.streamtheworld.com/F12-Q2/Q2F12_Significant_Events.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131203034950/http://corus.media.streamtheworld.com/F12-Q2/Q2F12_Significant_Events.pdf|archive-date=December 3, 2013|access-date=February 11, 2019|publisher=[[Corus Entertainment]]}}</ref> Nelvana had already used the company's software on projects like ''[[6teen]]'', ''[[Ruby Gloom]]'' as well as the aforementioned ''Detentionaire''. Going forward, all of the studio's internally animated 2D productions would utilize their sister company's suite of products.

After Murphy had been appointed as CEO of Corus Entertainment, Scott Dyer was named president of Nelvana in 2015.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://mediaincanada.com/2015/08/28/corus-entertainment-realigns-executive-ranks/|title=Corus Entertainment realigns executive ranks|date=August 28, 2015|work=Media In Canada|publisher=[[Brunico Communications]]|access-date=February 11, 2019}}</ref> The next year, Pam Westman became head of Nelvana.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://kidscreen.com/2016/05/02/pam-westman-to-head-up-nelvana-enterprises/ |title=Pam Westman to head up Nelvana Enterprises |date=May 2, 2016 |access-date=February 11, 2019 |work=[[KidScreen]] |publisher=[[Brunico Communications]] |first=Wendy |last=Getzler}}</ref>

On October 19, 2016, Nelvana redesigned their logo to mark the studio's 45th anniversary, as well as take part in Corus' brand refresh following latter's acquisition of [[Shaw Media]].<ref>{{cite press release|url=https://www.corusent.com/news/animation-trailblazer-nelvana-showcases-dynamic-new-look-groundbreaking-new-properties-mipcom/|title=Animation Trailblazer Nelvana Showcases Dynamic New Look And Groundbreaking New Properties At Mipcom|date=October 19, 2016|access-date=February 11, 2019|publisher=[[Corus Entertainment]]|location=Toronto}}</ref> According to Dyer, this also symbolized a strategic shift from merchandise-based properties to more creator-driven projects, as well as a return to international co-productions.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://kidscreen.com/2016/10/19/nelvana-rebrands-as-corus-2016-revenues-rise-44/|title=Nelvana rebrands as Corus 2016 revenues rise 44%|first=Elizabeth|last=Foster|date=October 19, 2016|work=[[KidScreen]]|publisher=[[Brunico Communications]]|access-date=February 11, 2019}}</ref> At that year's [[MIPCOM]], the studio showcased new shows ''[[Esme & Roy]]'' (with [[Sesame Workshop]]), ''[[Hotel Transylvania: The Series]]'' and ''[[Mysticons]]''. Nelvana also presented ''[[Bravest Warriors]]'', a pre-existing series from [[Frederator Studios]] that they were now producing and ''[[Corn & Peg]]'', a co-production with the US [[Nickelodeon]].

The following October, Nelvana announced the launch of a new [[joint venture]] with [[Discovery Communications]] to create children's content for Canada, Latin America and the rest of the world.<ref>{{cite press release|url=https://www.corusent.com/news/corus-discovery-announce-new-venture-produce-kids-content-global-market/|title=Corus and Discovery announce new venture to produce kids content for the global market|date=October 17, 2017|access-date=February 11, 2019|publisher=[[Corus Entertainment]]|location=Toronto}}</ref> Later named "redknot", the division's first two projects include ''The Dog & Pony Show'' and ''[[Agent Binky: Pets of the Universe]]''.<ref>{{cite press release|title=Nelvana and Discovery announce name for its kids production joint venture|url=https://www.corusent.com/news/nelvana-and-discovery-announce-name-for-its-kids-production-joint-venture/|date=February 11, 2019|access-date=February 11, 2019|publisher=[[Corus Entertainment]]|location=Toronto}}</ref>

In 2018, Nelvana appointed [[Cinedigm]] as the company's new U.S. home video partner.<ref>{{cite press release|url=https://www.corusent.com/news/nelvana-inks-multi-year-u-s-home-entertainment-library-deal/|title=Nelvana Inks Multi-Year U.S. Home Entertainment Library Deal|date=September 11, 2018|access-date=February 11, 2018|publisher=[[Corus Entertainment]]|location=Toronto}}</ref> In late 2018, the company relaunched ''Bakugan'' with ''[[Bakugan: Battle Planet]]'', a co-production between Nelvana, [[Spin Master Entertainment]], TMS Entertainment and [[Man of Action Studios]].

The studio launched its first short film, ''The Most Magnificent Thing'', in 2019 to showcase its technical abilities.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://playbackonline.ca/2019/07/09/nelvana-takes-on-the-festival-circuit-with-first-ever-short/|title=Nelvana takes on the festival circuit with first-ever short|first=Kelly|last=Townsend|date=July 9, 2019|access-date=September 28, 2019|work=[[Playback (magazine)|Playback]]|publisher=[[Brunico Communications]]}}</ref> Later that year, Dyer announced his retirement, with Westman named as his replacement.<ref>{{cite press release|title=CORUS' PRESIDENT OF NELVANA SCOTT DYER ANNOUNCES RETIREMENT; PAM WESTMAN NAMED AS SUCCESSOR|url=https://www.corusent.com/news/corus-president-of-nelvana-scott-dyer-announces-retirement-pam-westman-named-as-successor/|date=August 28, 2019|access-date=September 28, 2019|publisher=[[Corus Entertainment]]|location=Toronto}}</ref>

===2020s===
In October 2020, Nelvana agreed to co-produce ''[[Thomas & Friends: All Engines Go]]'' (with [[Mattel Television]]), a re-imagined revival of the original ''[[Thomas & Friends]]'' series, marking the franchise's first 2D-animated television series.<ref>{{cite press release|url=https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20201011005058/en/Mattel-Television-Greenlights-104-New-%E2%80%9CThomas-Friends%C2%AE%E2%80%9D-Television-Episodes-and-2-Specials|title=Mattel Television Greenlights 104 New "Thomas & Friends®" Television Episodes and 2 Specials|date=October 12, 2020|access-date=October 25, 2020|work=[[Mattel]]|location=El Segundo|agency=[[BusinessWire]]}}</ref> That same month, the company entered an agreement with Duncan Studio to produce animated feature films.<ref>{{cite press release|url=https://www.corusent.com/news/duncan-studios-x-nelvana/|title=Corus Entertainment's Nelvana partners with Duncan Studio for development of original animated feature films |date=October 21, 2020|access-date=October 25, 2020|publisher=[[Corus Entertainment]]|location=Toronto}}</ref> The first project announced from this collaboration was a feature film adaptation of the Ryan Andrews novel ''This Was Our Pact''. Written by Will Collins and starring [[Peter Dinklage]] as "a mysterious and charismatic bear", the film will be co-produced by Dinklage through his production company, Estuary Films.<ref>{{Cite web |title='This Was Our Pact' Movie in Works with Duncan Studio, Peter Dinklage's Estuary Films & Nelvana|url=https://www.animationmagazine.net/2021/02/this-was-our-pact-movie-in-works-with-duncan-studio-peter-dinklages-estuary-films-nelvana/ |access-date=2023-08-09 |website=www.animationmagazine.net|date=February 8, 2021 }}</ref>

In July 2024, as a result of budget cuts and layoffs across Corus Entertainment, a number of positions at Nelvana were eliminated, including that of Vice President Athena Georgaklis, and all development of new projects was paused.<ref>{{cite news |title=Corus makes deep cuts in Kingston |url=https://broadcastdialogue.com/corus-makes-deep-cuts-in-kingston/ |access-date=July 19, 2024 |work=Broadcast Dialogue |date=July 18, 2024}}</ref> Corus co-CEO John Gossling announced: "We're making tough decisions to shutter areas of the business we can no longer sustain and pause longer-term development activities while we implement efficiency initiatives". The year prior, Corus sold its software subsidiary Toon Boom Animation to Integrated Media Company, a portfolio company of [[TPG Inc.]] for $111 million to help the company pay down its debt.<ref>{{cite news |title=Nelvana Studios VP Athena Georgaklis Departs, Development Halted Amid Corus Cost Cuts |url=https://www.animationmagazine.net/2024/07/nelvana-studios-vp-athena-georgaklis-departs-development-halted-amid-corus-cost-cuts/ |access-date=July 19, 2024 |work=Animation Magazine |date=July 19, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Animation Studio Nelvana Cuts Top Exec, Pauses Development and Undergoes Layoffs |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/nelvana-studio-head-layoff-wave-1235953159/ |access-date=July 19, 2024 |work=The Hollywood Reporter |date=July 19, 2024}}</ref>

On September 2, 2025, Corus announced that future production at Nelvana would be temporarily halted and that any current projects would be winding down. This comes after Corus announced plans to focus on maintaining better performing properties. However, Corus would continue to operate the licensing, distribution and library unit.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=O'Kane |first1=Josh |last2=Galea |first2=Irene |title=Corus halts production at animation studio Nelvana, says it will focus managing existing properties |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/television/article-corus-halts-production-at-animation-studio-nelvana-says-it-will-focus/ |work=[[The Globe and Mail]] |access-date=September 2, 2025 |date=September 2, 2025 }}</ref>

==Franchises==
{{Main|List of Nelvana programs}}
{{More citations needed section|date=June 2023}}
Many of Nelvana's TV shows are based on properties from other companies, most of which started in other forms of media (excluding its namesake superhero, which never received an adaptation of any kind). A great deal of them are based on [[children's literature]] and [[comic book]]s; examples include ''[[Blazing Dragons]]'', ''[[Stickin' Around]]'', ''[[Wayside (TV series)|Wayside]]'', ''[[Cadillacs and Dinosaurs (TV series)|Cadillacs and Dinosaurs]]'', ''[[The Adventures of Tintin (TV series)|The Adventures of Tintin]]'', ''[[Anatole (TV series)|Anatole]]'', ''[[Babar (TV series)|Babar]]'', [[The Berenstain Bears (2002 TV series)|''The Berenstain Bears'']], ''[[Franklin (TV series)|Franklin]]'', ''[[Jane and the Dragon (TV series)|Jane and the Dragon]]'', ''[[Little Bear (TV series)|Little Bear]]'', ''[[The Magic School Bus (TV series)|The Magic School Bus]]'', ''[[Pippi Longstocking (1997 TV series)|Pippi Longstocking]]'', ''[[Redwall (TV series)|Redwall]]'', ''[[Rupert (TV series)|Rupert]]'', ''[[My Dad the Rock Star]]'', and ''[[Max & Ruby]]'', as well as ''[[Tales from the Cryptkeeper]]'', ''[[Beetlejuice (TV series)|Beetlejuice]]'', ''[[Jacob Two-Two (TV series)|Jacob Two-Two]]'', ''[[Sidekick (TV series)|Sidekick]]'' and [[Cartoon Network (Canada)|Teletoon]]/[[Nick Jr.]]'s ''[[Miss Spider's Sunny Patch Friends]]''.

Nelvana has also had considerable success with animated fare based on toys; American Greetings' ''Care Bears'' has been the most familiar example of this. Also, there have been series and specials based on ''Strawberry Shortcake'' (also from American Greetings), ''Madballs'' and ''My Pet Monster'' (from AmToy) and ''Rescue Heroes'' (from [[Fisher-Price]]). Nelvana also produced ''[[Fresh Beat Band of Spies]]'', an animated revival of ''[[The Fresh Beat Band]]'' that is produced by [[6 Point Harness]] for Nickelodeon.

It has also adapted big-screen franchises to televised properties, such as ''[[Star Wars]]'' (''[[Star Wars: Droids|Droids]]'' and ''[[Ewoks (TV series)|Ewoks]]''), ''[[Beetlejuice]]'', ''[[An American Tail]]'' (''[[Fievel's American Tails]]''), ''[[Free Willy]]'' and ''[[The Neverending Story]]''. It has even ventured into the video game world with a show based on [[Nintendo]]'s [[Donkey Kong (character)|Donkey Kong]]: ''[[Donkey Kong Country (TV series)|Donkey Kong Country]]''.

In the field of anime, the company holds the North American rights to Clamp/[[Kodansha]]'s ''[[Cardcaptor Sakura]]'' series. Also, it holds international licensing rights to ''[[Beyblade]]'' and ''[[Medabots]]'' and the Bakugan franchise.

As with many other animation studios, Nelvana has a wide range of established original series and characters within its roster; ''[[6teen]]'', ''[[Clone High]]'', ''[[Birdz (TV series)|Birdz]]'', ''[[Corn & Peg]]'', and ''[[Eek! The Cat]]'' are some of Nelvana's more notable animated series not adapted from older works.

{{As of|2008}}, the studio has made close to 25 feature films for theatre, home entertainment, and television distribution. Well-known releases include ''[[Rock & Rule]]'', the first five ''[[Care Bears]]'' films, two ''[[Babar the Elephant|Babar]]'' films, and the 1997 ''[[Pippi Longstocking (1997 film)|Pippi Longstocking]]''.

Live-action has been a part of its mainstay from its early years. The company has had ''[[Burglar (film)|Burglar]]'' and ''[[Malice (1993 film)|Malice]]'' as its own feature projects in that area, and has contributed as such to ''[[Star Wars Holiday Special]]'' and ''[[Three Amigos]]''. On television, Nelvana has made live-action shows such as ''[[The Edison Twins]]'', ''[[Nancy Drew (1995 TV series)|Nancy Drew]]'', ''[[The Hardy Boys (1995 TV series)|The Hardy Boys]]'', and ''[[Life with Boys]]''.

On February 5, 2013, Nelvana launched the [[Treehouse TV|Treehouse Direct]] channel on [[YouTube]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/c/TreehouseDirect/about|title = Treehouse Direct - YouTube|website = [[YouTube]]}}</ref>

On April 29, 2015, they launched a YouTube channel promoted by [[YTV (Canadian TV channel)|YTV]] as [[YTV (Canadian TV channel)#Related businesses|Nelvana Retro]],<ref>{{cite web|title=WATCH Nelvana Retro Now!|url=https://www.ytv.com/blog/watch-nelvana-retro-now-0|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150616225804/https://www.ytv.com/blog/watch-nelvana-retro-now-0|archive-date=16 June 2015|publisher=YTV}}</ref> which was renamed "YTV Direct" in 2016 after also deciding to incorporate non-Nelvana content such as [[Nickelodeon]] shows. It was later renamed '''Keep it Weird''' to incorporate more content from the company.<ref>{{cite web|title=YTV Direct|url=https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChUxVeU8kKEjmXOJZJGZE4g|website=[[YouTube]]}}</ref>

==Around the world==
''[[The Fairly OddParents]]'', created by animator [[Butch Hartman]], was distributed by Nelvana outside the U.S. from 2001 to 2005. This show has been in the top of the ratings for [[Nickelodeon]], YTV and the [[BBC]], and has also been successful among viewers in all European markets, [[Latin America]], [[Australia]], and [[Canada]]. Nickelodeon's ''[[Taina (TV series)|Taina]]'' was also distributed by Nelvana in 2001 and 2002. The series was cancelled in 2002, but had mixed to positive reviews and ratings in late 2001.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20040411183039/http://www.nelvana.com/shows/shows_template.asp?sid=69 Program information for ''The Fairly OddParents''] at Nelvana site. Retrieved June 24, 2006.</ref> [[Nick Jr.]]'s ''[[The Backyardigans]]'', in addition to being distributed by Nelvana outside the U.S., was also co-produced by Nelvana. Nick Jr.'s ''[[Max & Ruby]]'', also in addition to being distributed by Nelvana around the U.S., was also co-produced by Nelvana.

In the United States, Nelvana's series have been broadcast on terrestrial, cable and streaming networks, and internationally on over 360 television stations in more 180 countries, in approximately 50 languages.<ref name=corus>[https://www.corusent.com/nelvana/index.asp Nelvana information at Corus website]. Retrieved June 14, 2006. {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060516034820/http://www.corusent.com/nelvana/index.asp |date=May 16, 2006 }}</ref><ref name=dfait>[https://www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca/arts/ss_nelvana-en.asp Nelvana company overview at dfait-maeci.gc.ca]. Retrieved June 14, 2006. {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060304210337/http://www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca/arts/ss_nelvana-en.asp |date=March 4, 2006 }}</ref>

==Notable personnel==
Apart from its three founders, there have been several key personnel from Nelvana's past and present, a great deal of whom have left the company. Some of the better-known people who have worked for the studio at one point or another include animators [[Wayne Gilbert]], [[Peter Hudecki]], [[Tom McGillis]], [[Jennifer Pertsch]], [[Vincenzo Natali]], [[Arna Selznick]], [[Natalie Turner]], and [[John van Bruggen]], and voice actors [[Tara Strong]], [[Cree Summer]], [[Maurice LaMarche]], and [[Michael Cera]]. The British and Canadian duo of [[Alison Snowden]] and [[David Fine (filmmaker)|David Fine]] won an [[Academy Award]] for animation before starting to work for Nelvana.

Former Nelvana employees [[Roger Allers]], [[Charles Bonifacio]], [[Ralph Palmer (animator)|Ralph Palmer]], [[Kori Rae]], [[Joe Ranft]], [[David Soren (animator)|David Soren]], and [[Ralph Zondag]] went on to become staff members at [[Walt Disney Feature Animation]] and [[DreamWorks Animation]] starting in the 1980s. Allers went on to work on ''[[Open Season (2006 film)|Open Season]]'', ''[[The Lion King]]'', ''[[The Incredibles]]'', and ''[[Cars (2006 film)|Cars]]''. [[Lenora Hume]], from the company's early years, was the senior vice-president of [[DisneyToon Studios]] and [[Pixar]].

==Influence in popular culture==
The "Nelvana Independent Short Film Grand Prize", given out at the [[Ottawa International Animation Festival]] from 2004 to 2006, was sponsored by the company. The recipients of this prize were 2004's ''[[Ryan (film)|Ryan]]'', the [[Chris Landreth]] biography about Canadian animator [[Ryan Larkin]];<ref>Smith, Patrick (October 12, 2004). [http://mag.awn.com/index.php?ltype=all&sort=date&article_no=2265&page=4 "Ottawa Animation Festival 2004: One Animators <nowiki>{{sic}}</nowiki> Perspective"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041115123333/http://mag.awn.com/index.php?ltype=all&sort=date&article_no=2265&page=4 |date=November 15, 2004 }}, pg. 4. Animation World Magazine. Retrieved July 19, 2006.</ref> 2005's ''Milch'', from director [[Igor Kovalyov]];<ref>[http://film.calarts.edu/announcements/archive/2005_11.html ''Kovalyov wins Grand Prize''] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060911231102/http://film.calarts.edu/announcements/archive/2005_11.html |date=September 11, 2006 }}. November 2005 archive page at [[CalArts]] School of Film/Video site. Retrieved July 19, 2006.</ref> and, in 2006, [[Joanna Quinn]]'s ''Dreams and Desires: Family Ties''.<ref>[http://news.awn.com/index.php?ltype=top&newsitem_no=18010 "Three-Prize Winner at Annecy Wins Top Prize at Ottawa"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090219002309/http://news.awn.com/index.php?ltype=top&newsitem_no=18010 |date=February 19, 2009 }} (September 25, 2006). ''[[Animation World Magazine]]''. Retrieved October 7, 2006.</ref>

==See also==
{{Portal|Canada|Companies}}
* [[Cinema of Canada]]
* [[History of Canadian film]]
* [[History of Canadian animation]]
* [[List of Nelvana programs]]

===Related Canadian companies===
* [[National Film Board of Canada]]
* [[Cookie Jar Group]] (formerly [[Cinar]], bought and folded into DHX Media, now [[WildBrain]], in 2012)
* [[CinéGroupe]]
* [[Atkinson Film-Arts]] (defunct since 1989)
* [[WildBrain]]
* [[C.O.R.E.]] (defunct since 2010)

===Related International companies===
* [[DIC Entertainment]] (bought and folded into Cookie Jar Group in 2008)

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Bibliography==
* Stoffman, Daniel (2001). ''The Nelvana Story: Thirty Animated Years''. Toronto, Ontario: Nelvana Publishing Company ({{ISBN|1-894786-00-9}}).

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
* {{Official website|https://www.nelvana.com/}}
* {{anime News Network|company|170}}
* {{bcdb2|path=cartoons/Other_Studios/N/Nelvana_Limited/index.html}}
* [https://www.skypoint.com/members/schutz19/nelvana.htm Stamp of the superheroine after whom the company was named]
* "[https://www.thefreelibrary.com/-a030533629 Three Men and a bear: Nelvana at 25]" by Marc Glassman, ''[[Take One (Canadian magazine)|Take One]]'' (September 22, 1996)
* "[https://web.archive.org/web/20031126125631/http://www.cjnews.com/pastissues/00/feb03-00/tab/tab.htm Nelvana has found the formula for success]" by Sheldon Kirshner, ''[[Canadian Jewish News]]''

{{Nelvana}}
{{Corus Entertainment}}
{{Animation industry in Canada}}
{{Animation industry in the United States}}
{{Authority control}}
<!--Please do not make edits claiming that Nelvana has ceased operations unless a reliable source has confirmed its closure. See [[WP:RS]] and [[WP:SOCIALMEDIA]] to learn more.-->

[[Category:Nelvana| ]]
[[Category:1971 establishments in Ontario]]
[[Category:Canadian companies established in 1971]]
[[Category:2000 mergers and acquisitions]]
[[Category:American animation studios]]
[[Category:Canadian animation studios]]
[[Category:Companies based in Toronto]]
[[Category:Mass media companies established in 1971]]
[[Category:Topcraft]]
[[Category:Dubbing (filmmaking)]]
[[Category:Television production companies of Canada]]
[[Category:Film production companies of Canada]]
[[Category:Lucasfilm]]
[[Category:Companies formerly listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange]]
[[Category:Corus Entertainment subsidiaries]]
[[Category:Companies formerly listed on the Nasdaq]]
[[Category:Entertainment companies based in Ontario]]