Hyperion Pictures

Last updated
Hyperion Pictures
Industry Filmmaking
FoundedDecember 25, 1984;40 years ago (1984-12-25)
Headquarters Los Angeles, California
Key people
Thomas L. Wilhite
Willard Carroll
Chris Young
Subsidiaries Hyperion Animation
Jambalaya Studios

Hyperion Pictures (also known as Hyperion Films or Hyperion Studios or Hyperion Animation) is an American independent film production and distribution company founded by Thomas L. Wilhite, who had previously been the head of motion picture and television production for The Walt Disney Company, and writer/director Willard Carroll. The company produces both live-action and animated productions such as The Brave Little Toaster [1] and The Runestone .

Contents

History

A subsidiary of the company is its animation division, Hyperion Animation Company, Inc. which has produced animated feature films and television series, including its most successful media franchises: The Brave Little Toaster, The Brave Little Toaster Goes to Mars, The Brave Little Toaster to the Rescue, The Itsy Bitsy Spider and The Oz Kids . In 1998, the company produced the live-action film Playing by Heart for Miramax. [2] Also, on December 9, 1998, it signed a deal with Showtime in order to develop a telefilm based on the hit book series Bad News Ballet. [3]

On October 5, 1999, Hyperion, along with Disney's animation designer Bruce W. Smith, launched a joint venture Jambalaya Studio to produce shows aimed at a black audience. [4] On September 22, 2002, Hyperion Pictures decided to expand into a memoir and a series of pulp novels into feature film production. [5]

The studio has been dormant since 2007, but their website was recently updated in 2019, stating that it was under construction. It then returned a year later. However, the company is not involved with The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder .

Accolades

The first Brave Little Toaster received an Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated Program nomination [6] and a Special Jury recognition from the Sundance Film Festival. [7]

List of notable Hyperion features and television productions

Feature films

Short films

Television series

List of Hyperion Animation productions

Television series

TitleYear(s)NetworkCo-production(s)Notes
The Itsy Bitsy Spider 1993–1996 USA Network Paramount Television
The Oz Kids 1996–1997 Direct-to-video Meldac
Canal + D.A.
Wang Film Productions
Life with Louie 1994–1998 Fox Kids Fox Children's Productions
The Anderson/Hassan Company
The Adventures of Hyperman 1995–1996 CBS Columbia TriStar Television
Illumination Studios
Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child 1995–2000 HBO Two Oceans Entertainment Group
Confetti Entertainment Company
The Proud Family 2001–2005 Disney Channel
ABC Kids 		Walt Disney Television Animation [8]
Jambalaya Studios
Da Boom Crew 2004 Kids' WB Berliner Film Company
Jambalaya Studios

Television specials

TitleRelease dateNetworkCo-production(s)Notes
The Sissy Duckling1999 HBO

Television films

TitleRelease dateNetworkCo-production(s)Notes
The Proud Family Movie 2005Disney ChannelWalt Disney Television Animation
Jambalaya Studios

Direct-to-video films

TitleRelease dateCo-production(s)Notes
The Brave Little Toaster to the Rescue 1997 Walt Disney Home Video
The Kushner-Locke Company
The Brave Little Toaster Goes to Mars 1998
We Wish You a Merry Christmas1999
Jingle Bells1999
O' Christmas Tree1999
The Tangerine Bear: Home in Time for Christmas! 2000 Artisan Entertainment
The Adventures of Tom Thumb and Thumbelina 2002 Miramax Films

Theatrical films

TitleRelease dateCo-production(s)Notes
The Brave Little Toaster 1987 Walt Disney Pictures
The Kushner-Locke Company
Rover Dangerfield 1991 Warner Bros. Pictures
The Kushner-Locke Company
Robin Harris' Bebe's Kids 1992 Paramount Pictures
Jambalaya Studios

Short films

TitleRelease dateCo-production(s)Notes
The Itsy Bitsy Spider 1992Paramount Pictures
1001 Nights: An Animation Symphony1998 Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra

References

  1. ↑ THE BRAVE LITTLE TOASTER (1987) (***)|Animation World Network
  2. ↑ Carver, Benedict (1998-05-07). "Edwards into 'Dancing'". Variety. Retrieved 2022-01-10.
  3. ↑ Madigan, Nick (1998-12-10). "Showtime on toes for 'Ballet' telepic". Variety. Retrieved 2022-01-10.
  4. ↑ Adalian, Josef (1999-10-05). "Jambalaya cooks up multi-ethnic toons". Variety. Retrieved 2022-01-10.
  5. ↑ Dunkley, Cathy (2002-09-22). "Hyperion to pound pulp into pix". Variety. Retrieved 2022-01-10.
  6. ↑ The Brave Little Toaster|Television Academy
  7. ↑ The Brave Little Toaster|Sundance Institute
  8. ↑ "Happily Ever After Hours". May 11, 2020. Retrieved August 10, 2025.
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