House of Cool Studios[2] is a boutique animation studio based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada and founded as a pre-production studio in 1994 by animation veteran Ricardo Curtis and finance expert Wes Lui, specializing in designing and storyboarding of films, series and commercials.
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Animation |
| Predecessor | Red Rover Studios |
| Founded | 1994[1] |
| Founder |
|
| Headquarters | Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
Key people | |
| Services |
|
| Parent | WildBrain (2023–present) |
| Website | www |
 | |
| 1968 | FilmFair London is founded |
|---|---|
| 1971 | DIC Audiovisuel is founded |
| 1972 | Strawberry Shortcake brand is first developed |
| 1974 | CPLG is founded |
| 1976 | CINAR and Colossal Pictures are founded |
| 1982 | DIC Enterprises is founded |
| 1984 | Ragdoll Productions is founded |
| 1987 | DIC Audiovisuel closes |
| 1988 | Studio B Productions is founded |
| 1992 | Epitome Pictures is founded |
| 1993 | DIC Enterprises becomes DIC Entertainment |
| 1994 | Wild Brain is founded‚ and Red Rover Studios is founded, DIC Entertainment brands as The Incredible World of DIC |
| 1995 | Platinum Disc Corporation is founded |
| 1996 | CINAR buys FilmFair's library |
| 1997 | Decode Entertainment is founded |
| 1999 | Wild Brain acquires Colossal Pictures' employee base |
| 2002 | Nerd Corps Entertainment is founded |
| 2004 | Halifax Film Company is founded, CINAR rebrands as Cookie Jar Group |
| 2005 | Platinum Disc Corporation merge as Echo Bridge Home Entertainment |
| 2006 | Decode and Halifax Film merge as DHX Media, DIC acquires CPLG, and Ragdoll Worldwide is formed with BBC Worldwide |
| 2007 | DHX Media buys Studio B Productions and Wild Brain becomes Wildbrain Entertainment |
| 2008 | Cookie Jar Group absorbs DIC and House of Cool absorbs Red Rover Studios |
| 2010 | DHX Media buys Wildbrain Entertainment‚ and Peanuts Worldwide is founded |
| 2011 | Decode Entertainment and Red Rover Studios closes |
| 2012 | DHX Media buys Cookie Jar Group |
| 2013 | DHX Media acquires Ragdoll Worldwide’s back catalogue |
| 2014 | DHX Media buys Epitome Pictures, Nerd Corps, and Echo Bridge Home Entertainment's family content library, as well as Family, the English version of Disney Junior, the French version of Disney Junior and Disney XD; Cookie Jar Group is absorbed |
| 2016 | The WildBrain multi-channel network launches and Studio B and Nerd Corps merge as DHX Studios |
| 2017 | Wildbrain Entertainment closes; DHX Media buys Peanuts Worldwide and Strawberry Shortcake |
| 2018 | Halifax Film becomes Island of Misfits |
| 2019 | DHX Media rebrands as WildBrain, Epitome Pictures closes, and the WildBrain MCN becomes WildBrain Spark |
| 2020 | CPLG becomes WildBrain CPLG |
| 2021 | Echo Bridge folds into SP Distribution |
| 2023 | WildBrain acquires House of Cool |
| 2024 | WildBrain Spark merged into its parent company as WildBrain London |
On March 29, 2023, Canadian media company WildBrain announced its intent to acquire the company for CA$18.3 million.[3] The acquisition was completed in July 19, 2023.[4]
Red Rover Studios
Red Rover Studios was founded in London by Andy and Linzi Knight in 1994. It was a full production studio that focused on 2D and CGI animation. They later moved to Toronto, Ontario, Canada. However, in July 2008, Red Rover was acquired by House of Cool after Andy Knight died, three months earlier.[5][6]
Filmography
As House of Cool
- Horton Hears a Who! (2008) (film)
- Ollie & the Baked Halibut (2009) (short)
- Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (2009) (film)
- 9 (2009) (film)
- Ninjamaica (2009) (series)
- Despicable Me (2010) (film)
- Jonah Hex (2010) (film)
- The LeBrons (2011) (series) (Season 1)
- Rio (2011) (film)
- Hugo (2011) (film)
- Ice Age: A Mammoth Christmas (2011) (short)
- Ice Age: Continental Drift (2012) (film)
- Gravity Falls (2012) (TV series, early development)
- Escape from Planet Earth (2013) (film)
- Epic (2013) (film)
- Free Birds (2013) (film)
- Rio 2 (2014) (film)
- The Book of Life (2014) (film)
- DreamWorks Dragons (2015) (TV series)
- The Peanuts Movie (2015) (film)
- Ice Age: The Great Egg-Scapade (2016) (short)
- Nova Seed (2016) (film)
- The Angry Birds Movie (2016) (film)
- Ice Age: Collision Course (2016) (film)
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in Pizza Friday! (2016) (short)
- Trollhunters (2016) (series)
- Ferdinand (2017) (film)
- Next Gen (2018) (film)
- 3Below: Tales of Arcadia (2018) (series)
- The Angry Birds Movie 2 (2019) (film)
- Spies in Disguise (2019) (film)
- He-Man and the Masters of the Universe (2021) (series)
- Pretzel and the Puppies (2022) (series)
As Red Rover Studios
- All Dogs Go to Heaven 2 (1996) (film)
- Broken Sword: Circle of Blood (1996) (video game)
- Broken Sword: The Shadow of the Templars (1996) (video game)
- Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas (1997) (film)
- Ned's Newt (1997) (TV series)
- 1001 Nights (1998) (film)
- Bob and Margaret (1999) (TV series)
- Joseph: King of Dreams (2000) (film)
- Snickers (2000)
- The Ripping Friends (2001) (TV series)
- Hey Arnold!: The Jungle Movie (2001) (film, test footage)[7]
- Pig City (2002) (TV series)
- Get Ed (2005) (TV series)
- Reefer Madness: The Musical (2005) (film) ("The Brownie Song" sequence)
- Gnomeo and Juliet (2011) (film)
References
- ^ "Our Story". House of Cool.
- ^ "House of Cool – Toronto Animation Studio". House of Cool. Retrieved 2015-12-31.
- ^ Lang, Jamie (March 29, 2023). "Wildbrain Acquires Canadian Pre-Production Studio House Of Cool". Cartoon Brew. Retrieved April 2, 2023.
- ^ Ltd, WildBrain. "WILDBRAIN COMPLETES HOUSE OF COOL ACQUISITION, SIGNIFICANTLY EXPANDING AND ENHANCING ITS PRE-PRODUCTION CAPABILITIES". www.prnewswire.com. Retrieved 2023-07-20.
- ^ "Andy Knight, RIP | Cartoon Brew". Cartoon Brew. Retrieved 2015-12-31.
- ^ "House Of Cool Studios Acquires Red Rover Studios". Awn.com. 2008-07-23. Retrieved 2011-07-26.
- ^ Hey Arnold Test