In a strategic move to capitalize on the soaring popularity of Japanese animation worldwide, Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) has unveiled plans to significantly ramp up its investment and production of anime through its existing studio in Japan, according to James Gibbons, the company’s president of Asia-Pacific operations.
The media conglomerate’s anime facility, operational since 2011, has been producing 5 to 10 series annually in recent years. However, WBD has now approved an expansion that will see its anime output surpass 10 series per year, reflecting the genre’s increasing reach and relevance across global audiences.
“Anime is one of the best ways to reach the 18 to 30-year-old audience, which is incredibly elusive,” Gibbons stated, citing strong viewership in markets like the U.S., parts of Europe, and Latin America. Notably, the studio’s previous anime adaptations, including the popular “JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure” and “Record of Ragnarok” series, have ranked highly on streaming platforms such as Netflix.
Beyond adapting existing intellectual properties, WBD is also exploring new avenues by reimagining characters from its iconic DC universe through the lens of anime. “We’ve looked at our DC universe and said, ‘Can we take these characters and reinvent them in the world of anime,’ which is not straightforward because you have to do it the right way,” Gibbons explained.
The studio’s inaugural foray into this realm is the upcoming “Suicide Squad ISEKAI” series, an original anime based on DC’s colorful cast of antiheroes. Produced in collaboration with the acclaimed WIT Studio, known for hits like “Attack on Titan” and “Spy x Family,” the series is slated for a Japanese release in July, with international distribution to follow later this year.
While anime remains a central focus, WBD is also keen to explore other content categories in Asia, including Japanese scripted series, Korean dramas, and Chinese-language content. The company plans to bring its Max streaming service to East Asia, offering a broader content library, factual programming, and an expanded kids’ selection alongside strategic Asian content acquisitions.
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As the global appetite for anime continues to surge, Warner Bros. Discovery’s increased commitment to the genre positions the media titan to tap into a lucrative and rapidly growing market, blending beloved franchises with fresh, innovative storytelling from the animation powerhouse of Japan. This story was first published by Variety.
