Sam Register, the president of Warner Bros. Animation, Cartoon Network Studios and Hanna-Barbera Studios Europe, is leaving Warner Bros. Discovery after more than 30 years with the company. He will depart next week when his current contract expires.
Channing Dungey, chairman and CEO of Warner Bros. Television Group and U.S. Networks, announced the departure in an internal memo. "It's with mixed emotions that I announce the studio and our head of animation, Sam Register, have mutually agreed not to renew his contract," Dungey said, according to Deadline.
Register said in a statement: "It's time for me to move onto the next chapter in my life, and I'm grateful to have Channing's support as I exit Warner Bros Animation. 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."
Register first joined Cartoon Network in 1994 and moved to Warner Bros. Animation in November 2007, initially as a producer. He was named executive vice president of creative affairs a year later and promoted to president in 2014. His tenure covered some of the most significant shifts in American animation over the past three decades.
During his time at Cartoon Network, the Adult Swim late-night programming block launched in 2001. That block introduced adult animation to mainstream cable and helped pave the way for shows like Rick and Morty, Space Ghost: Coast to Coast, and Primal, according to The Wrap. Reruns of Family Guy and Futurama that aired on Adult Swim also led directly to both series being revived on their original networks.
Register also championed the work of creators including Genndy Tartakovsky, Craig McCracken, Pendleton Ward, Patrick McHale, and Rebecca Sugar. More recently, he expanded Warner Bros. Animation's reach by producing shows sold to outside streamers. A new Adventure Time spinoff premiered on Disney+, and Batman: Caped Crusader aired two seasons on Prime Video. Teen Titans Go!, another series he supported, has been on the air since 2013 and has produced more than 450 episodes.
Dungey said the company will conduct a search for Register's replacement, which Deadline noted is significant given Warner Bros. Discovery's pending acquisition by Paramount. Paramount has its own animation operation and leadership, and it remains unclear whether Register's exit is connected to that deal.
In the interim, Matt Matzkin will continue leading Business Operations. The current creative department heads will remain in their roles: Jay Bastian over Current Series, Jason DeMarco over Anime and Action Series, Audrey Diehl over Kids and Family, Sarah Fell over Hanna-Barbera Studios UK, Peter Girardi over Alternative Programming and Adult, and Sammy Perlmutter over Long Form and Specials.
