List of animation studios

A list of animation studios is a comprehensive catalog of companies and organizations worldwide that specialize in producing animated media, including films, television series, commercials, video games, and digital content, often categorized by country, region, or animation technique such as 2D, 3D CGI, or stop-motion.^[1][2] These studios play a pivotal role in the entertainment industry, driving innovation in visual storytelling and employing thousands of artists, animators, and technicians to bring imaginative worlds to life.^[3] From the early 20th century, when pioneers like Walt Disney founded studios that revolutionized hand-drawn animation with milestones such as the first synchronized sound cartoon Steamboat Willie in 1928,^[4] to the digital era dominated by computer-generated techniques, animation studios have evolved to encompass global operations and diverse creative outputs.^[3][5] Notable examples include longstanding giants like Walt Disney Animation Studios, known for iconic feature films including Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937), the first full-length animated film, and contemporary leaders such as Pixar Animation Studios, which pioneered CGI with Toy Story (1995), alongside international powerhouses like Japan's Studio Ghibli, celebrated for hand-drawn masterpieces like Spirited Away (2001).^[3][6] The industry supports a vast ecosystem, projected to reach approximately $400 billion by the end of 2025 through production, distribution, and related technologies.^[7]

Active studios

Americas

Active animation studios in the Americas, centered in the United States and Canada, lead global production of feature films, television series, and digital content using techniques from traditional 2D to advanced CGI. These studios employ thousands and generate billions in revenue, with major players like Disney and Pixar driving innovation amid streaming and theatrical markets as of 2025. Below is an alphabetical list of notable active studios from the United States, Canada, and other countries in the region, including locations, founding years, and key contributions.^[8]

• Atomic Cartoons (Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; 1999–present): Specializes in 2D and 3D animation for TV series like Ninjago and Pokémon, supporting international co-productions and employing over 500 artists.^[9]
• DreamWorks Animation (Glendale, California, USA; 1994–present): Produces franchise films such as the Kung Fu Panda and How to Train Your Dragon series, alongside TV content, with a focus on CGI features grossing over $15 billion worldwide.^[10]
• Illumination (Santa Monica, California, USA; 2007–present): Known for the Despicable Me and Minions franchises, the studio emphasizes colorful 3D animation for family audiences, achieving box-office success exceeding $4 billion.^[10]
• Pixar Animation Studios (Emeryville, California, USA; 1986–present): Pioneers in CGI with films like Toy Story and Inside Out 2, producing 28 features and winning 23 Academy Awards for animation innovation.^[10]
• Sony Pictures Animation (Culver City, California, USA; 2002–present): Creates animated features including Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and Hotel Transylvania, blending 2D/3D hybrid styles for diverse audiences.^[10]
• Walt Disney Animation Studios (Burbank, California, USA; 1923–present): Produces classics like Frozen and Moana, utilizing a mix of 2D and 3D techniques, with over 60 features contributing to Disney's $100 billion+ animation portfolio.^[10]
• WildBrain (Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; 2018–present, successor to DHX Media): Manages IPs like Teletubbies and Peanuts, producing kids' content and streaming originals for global distribution.^[9]

Europe

Active animation studios in Europe thrive through a blend of independent creativity, government support, and VFX integration, producing arthouse films, TV series, and commercials across the UK, France, and beyond. As of 2025, the region hosts over 500 studios contributing to a €3 billion market, emphasizing diverse styles from stop-motion to CGI. The following lists notable active European studios alphabetically, with locations, founding years, and key outputs.^[11]

• Aardman Animations (Bristol, United Kingdom; 1972–present): Renowned for stop-motion works like Wallace & Gromit and Shaun the Sheep, the studio has won four Academy Awards and expanded into features and TV.^[11]
• DNEG (London, United Kingdom; 1998–present): A VFX and animation powerhouse, contributing to films like Dune and Tenet, with animation divisions supporting CGI sequences for global blockbusters.^[11]
• Framestore (London, United Kingdom; 1986–present): Specializes in CGI and VFX for animation hybrids in projects like Paddington and The Lion King, employing 2,500 staff across multiple locations.^[11]
• Gaumont Animation (Paris, France; 2008–present): Focuses on family features and series such as The Little Prince adaptation, partnering for international co-productions in 2D and 3D.^[11]
• Mac Guff (Paris, France; 1985–present, L'École des Réalités Virtuelles since 2011): Produces CGI films like Despicable Me (early work) and The House, known for high-end 3D animation and training programs.^[12]

Asia

Active animation studios in Asia, led by Japan, India, and South Korea, dominate with anime, 3D features, and outsourcing, generating $2.45 billion in 2025 amid streaming growth. These studios blend traditional and digital techniques, exporting content globally. The following table lists notable active studios alphabetically.^[13]

Africa and Oceania

Active animation studios in Africa and Oceania focus on regional storytelling, VFX, and international subcontracting, growing despite funding challenges, with South Africa and Australia as hubs. As of 2025, the sectors emphasize cultural narratives and CGI, supported by incentives. The following table lists notable active studios alphabetically.^[14][15]

Defunct studios

Americas

The defunct animation studios of the Americas, primarily concentrated in the United States and Canada, played a crucial role in shaping the industry's early innovations, from the experimental techniques of the Golden Age to modern digital and web-based productions. During the 1920s to 1940s, American studios like Fleischer and UPA pioneered character-driven cartoons and stylistic modernism that influenced global animation aesthetics. Later closures in the 1980s and beyond, including those driven by corporate mergers and streaming disruptions, reflect broader economic pressures on the sector. These studios' legacies endure through their iconic works, which informed successors like Disney and Warner Bros. Animation. In recent years, the 2024 shutdown of Rooster Teeth underscores ongoing challenges from digital media shifts and content market saturation. Below is an alphabetical roster of notable defunct studios from the United States, Canada, and Mexico, detailing their locations, active periods, key contributions, and closure reasons.

• Blue Sky Studios (White Plains, New York, USA; 1989–2021): This computer-generated imagery (CGI) studio produced the Ice Age franchise, Rio, and The Peanuts Movie, grossing over $4 billion worldwide and establishing Blue Sky as a major rival to Pixar during its peak in the 2000s. Disney acquired the studio via its 2019 purchase of 21st Century Fox and closed it in April 2021, citing the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on theatrical releases and a need to consolidate animation resources.^[19]
• DePatie–Freleng Enterprises (Burbank, California, USA; 1963–1981): Formed after Warner Bros. shuttered its animation division, the studio created the Pink Panther theatrical shorts, post-1963 Looney Tunes cartoons, and TV series like The Inspector, blending limited animation with humor to sustain classic characters during the 1960s and 1970s. It ceased operations in 1981 when sold to Marvel Comics as their animation arm, amid declining demand for theatrical shorts and a pivot to superhero properties.^[20]
• Filmation (Reseda, California, USA; 1963–1989): Known for limited-animation TV series such as He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids, and The Archies, Filmation dominated Saturday morning cartoons in the 1970s and 1980s by emphasizing moral-driven stories and cost-efficient production. Parent company Westinghouse closed the studio on February 3, 1989, after attempting to sell it to L'Oréal, due to financial losses from failed live-action ventures and shifting TV regulations.^[21]
• Fleischer Studios (New York City and Miami, Florida, USA; 1921–1942): A pioneer of the Golden Age, the studio introduced rotoscoping in Out of the Inkwell (1918–1929), created enduring characters like Betty Boop and Popeye, and produced early feature-length animations including Gulliver's Travels (1939). Paramount Pictures took control and renamed it Famous Studios in 1942 following box-office flops of its features and internal financial disputes, effectively ending the original operation.^[22][23]
• Gamma Productions (Mexico City, Mexico; 1957–1980s): One of Mexico's earliest dedicated animation studios, originally founded as Val-Mar Productions, it contributed to international projects like subcontracting for U.S. cartoons and producing local content such as Adventures of Pinocchio (1960), fostering Latin American animation during the mid-20th century. The studio faded in the 1980s due to limited domestic funding and competition from U.S. imports, with no major revivals.^[24]
• Pixar Canada (Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; 2009–2013): Established as a satellite for pre-production and development on Pixar features like Monsters University, the studio supported CGI workflows and talent training during its brief peak. Disney closed it in October 2013, laying off about 100 employees, to centralize efforts at the main Emeryville headquarters and address insufficient B.C. tax incentives.^[25]
• Rankin/Bass Animated Entertainment (New York City, New York, USA; 1960–1987): Renowned for stop-motion holiday specials including Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964) and Here Comes Peter Cottontail (1971), the studio blended puppetry with cel animation to create enduring TV traditions in the 1960s–1970s. It shut down in 1987 following flops like The Comic Strip series and broader declines in network special commissions.^[26]
• Rooster Teeth Productions (Austin, Texas, USA; 2003–2024): Pioneering web animation with machinima series Red vs. Blue and anime-influenced RWBY, the studio built a digital empire with over 100 million monthly views at its 2010s peak, influencing online content creation. Warner Bros. Discovery closed it in March 2024 due to fundamental shifts in consumer behavior, ad revenue drops, and monetization challenges in digital media.^[27]
• United Productions of America (UPA) (Burbank, California, USA; 1943–1970): Revolutionizing postwar animation with stylized, modernist shorts like Gerald McBoing-Boing (1950) and the Mr. Magoo series, UPA influenced limited animation techniques and won multiple Oscars in the 1950s. Henry G. Saperstein bought it in 1960 and closed the animation division in 1970, shifting to live-action TV distribution amid falling theatrical demand.^[28]

These closures highlight how regional studios advanced techniques like CGI and stop-motion but succumbed to corporate consolidations and market evolutions, paving the way for today's integrated giants without direct revival of the originals.

Europe

Europe's animation industry has long been shaped by a mix of state-sponsored initiatives, artistic experimentation, and commercial ventures, particularly in the post-World War II period when studios like those in the UK and Eastern Bloc contributed to cultural and educational output. Many defunct studios emerged from reconstructions after the war or during the Cold War, producing influential works in propaganda, children's programming, and avant-garde animation, only to dissolve due to funding cuts, political upheavals, and economic transitions in the 1990s. Privatizations following the fall of the Soviet Union and German reunification led to widespread closures, while more recent shutdowns, such as in 2025, reflect global industry pressures like reduced commissions and financial instability.^[29][30][31] The following lists notable defunct European animation studios alphabetically, highlighting their locations, operational periods, key contributions, and reasons for closure.

• Axis Studios (Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom; 2000–2025): This studio specialized in 3D animation and VFX for television and streaming, producing episodes of Netflix's Love, Death & Robots and the Marvel miniseries Eyes of Wakanda (2025), which earned critical acclaim for its visual style. It employed around 250 staff at its peak and contributed to high-profile projects blending animation with live-action. The studio entered bankruptcy in October 2025 after struggling with deferred payments and reduced international work amid economic downturns in the VFX sector.^[31][32]
• DEFA Studio für Animierte Filme (Dresden, East Germany; 1955–1992): Established as part of the state-owned DEFA film conglomerate in the German Democratic Republic, this studio produced over 800 short films and features using techniques like cut-out, puppetry, and early computer animation, including works like The Proud Little Rooster (1956) that emphasized socialist themes and artistic innovation. It played a key role in Eastern Bloc animation, distributing films across the Soviet sphere and beyond. The studio closed in 1992 following German reunification, as privatization and the collapse of state funding dismantled the GDR's film infrastructure.^[29][33][34]
• Halas and Batchelor Cartoon Films (London, United Kingdom; 1940–1986): Founded by Hungarian émigré John Halas and British artist Joy Batchelor, this was Britain's largest and most influential 20th-century animation studio, producing over 2,000 films including the landmark adaptation Animal Farm (1954), the first feature-length British animated film, as well as wartime propaganda shorts and educational series like Automania 2000 (1963). It pioneered techniques in abstract and experimental animation while supporting the British animation industry's growth post-WWII. The studio was sold to Tyne Tees Television in the early 1970s and ceased operations in 1986 due to shifting market demands and the founders' retirement.^[35][36][37]
• Prima Linea Productions (Paris, France; 1995–2020): This independent studio focused on feature films and co-productions, contributing to acclaimed works like The Illusionist (2010), an Oscar-nominated film by Sylvain Chomet, and Zarafa (2012), a historical adventure blending 2D and 3D elements. It supported European arthouse animation by partnering with international talents and emphasizing storytelling over commercial blockbusters. The company was liquidated in February 2020 after the underperformance of its final project, The Big Bad Fox and Other Tales (2017), exacerbated by a shrinking market for independent animation in Europe.^[38][39]
• Walt Disney Animation France (Montreuil, France; 1989–2003): Acquired from Brizzi Films and integrated into Disney's global network, this studio handled 2D animation for international projects, contributing to features like Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001) and TV series such as Gargoyles (1994–1997), supporting Disney's European expansion during the 1990s animation renaissance. It employed up to 150 artists and facilitated cross-Atlantic collaborations. The studio closed in July 2003 as part of Disney's broader cost-cutting measures, shifting focus to centralized U.S. operations amid the decline of traditional 2D animation.^[40][41]

These closures underscore Europe's animation landscape's vulnerability to geopolitical shifts and market dynamics, influencing the sector's evolution toward more fragmented, independent models.

Asia

Asia's animation industry, particularly in Japan, underwent a remarkable post-war expansion starting in the 1950s, fueled by the rise of television and the pioneering efforts of studios adapting Western techniques to local storytelling, which laid the groundwork for global anime influence. This boom saw the establishment of numerous independent studios specializing in cel animation and early feature films, contributing to cultural exports like Astro Boy adaptations, though many struggled with funding amid Japan's economic recovery. In China, the industry faced interruptions during the Cultural Revolution (1966-1976), when production at key facilities like Shanghai Animation Film Studio nearly ceased, leading to the defunct status of several experimental units focused on traditional ink-wash styles by the 1980s. South Korea and India saw growth in subcontracting work for international projects during the 1980s-1990s, but closures accelerated due to volatile outsourcing markets. By the 2024-2025 period, Asia's animation sector grappled with market saturation, animator shortages, and declining studio profits despite overall industry revenue reaching $2.45 billion, resulting in at least eight bankruptcies or cessations in Japan alone—the third consecutive year of increases. These closures often stemmed from low production budgets, overreliance on freelance labor, and competition from streaming platforms that prioritized quantity over profitability. The legacy of these defunct studios endures through intellectual property transfers to successors, such as Gainax's assets moving to Studio Khara, influencing ongoing anime production without overlapping active studio operations. The following table lists notable defunct animation studios in Asia alphabetically, highlighting their contributions to regional evolution. These studios' closures underscored Asia's animation evolution from artisanal post-war ventures to a saturated digital market, where economic volatility and labor exploitation prompted regulatory responses like Japan's 2025 labor reforms.

Africa and Oceania

In Africa and Oceania, the animation sector has historically been characterized by innovative but fleeting ventures, shaped by colonial influences that prioritized imported Western styles over indigenous narratives, leading to sporadic production and frequent closures due to insufficient domestic funding and competition from international imports. Early 20th-century studios in South Africa and Australia laid foundational work in advertising and shorts, often adapting European cel techniques to local contexts, yet most dissolved amid economic shifts toward live-action film. By the late 20th and early 21st centuries, efforts to scale up—such as government-backed units or commercial CG outfits—faced talent exodus to larger markets like the US and Europe, resulting in closures by the 2010s; these studios nonetheless enriched global animation by incorporating regional motifs, from Australian outback tales to African folklore adaptations, fostering diversity in an otherwise Euro-American dominated field.^[49][50] The following table lists notable defunct animation studios from the region, arranged alphabetically, highlighting their contributions and challenges up to 2025.