Warner Bros. Animation, having a significant presence at Annecy this year, announced on Friday a new animated series of “Dark Shadows.” This move highlights the studio’s expansion into adult animation genres beyond comedy.
The series, a reimagining of the 1960s cult TV show, is in the initial stages of development. Lisa Holdsworth, known for Channel 4’s “Dreamers” and her writing on Sky’s “Discovery of Witches” and BBC’s “Call the Midwife,” will serve as executive producer and showrunner. Cathy Curtis, Tracy Curtis, Eric Homan, Kevin Kolde, and Fred Seibert are also executive producers.
The announcement occurred at the WBA adult animation showcase during Annecy’s Mifa Market, hosted by Shaleen Desai, senior VP of creative affairs, and Peter Girardi, executive VP of alternative programming at Warner Bros. Animation.
Originally airing in 1967, the supernatural family saga became a favorite among teens with the introduction of the vampire character Barnabas Collins, portrayed by Jonathan Frid. It became ABC’s highest-rated daytime series, leading to various spin-offs, including a 2012 film by Tim Burton featuring Johnny Depp and Michelle Pfeiffer.
The new series is still in development, and the direction Warner Bros. Animation will take remains uncertain. The studio utilized the adult animation session to elaborate on some of the significant announcements made at this week’s French animation festival.
These announcements included a series development greenlight for “Absolute Batman,” based on the popular comic, and a greenlight for DC’s inaugural anime series “Joker: Laugh Riot.” Additionally, series development for “Krypto” was announced, featuring some of DC’s most notable superheroes and villains, offering a diverse range of styles and stories for audiences of all ages.
Announced on Wednesday at Annecy, these strategic moves for Warner Bros. Animation and DC followed the world premiere of “Batman: Knightfall,” the first part of a planned animated feature trilogy.
One of the most significant comic book events of the 1990s, featuring Anson Mount and Michael Mando, and showcasing a lesser-seen Robin, received thunderous applause at Annecy on Tuesday, as noted by Variety.
During its Friday adult animation showcase, Warner Bros. Animation and Hanna-Barbera Studios unveiled first images of “Hit Squad,” a puppet TV series inspired by Gerry Anderson, showing extensive footage to an enthusiastic audience.
“We’re thrilled to bring this new series, penned by Gerry Anderson in the late 1970s, to life,” said Giraldi. “With advancements in puppetry and a mix of CG and practical effects, ‘Hit Squad’ blends action with dark humor, courtesy of Hanna-Barbera Europe and Warner Bros. Animation teams.”
Returning to their new Adult Swim family show “Keeping Up With the Joneses,” the WBA team described it as focusing on original narratives, with character-driven comedy adding to the ‘family comedy show’ genre for their long-time partners at Adult Swim.
As one of the fastest-growing divisions at Warner Bros. Animation, with titles like “Harley Quinn” and “Kiteman,” the adult animation teams have been expanding both WBA and DC Studios’ legacy properties while embracing new animated stories. “We don’t have a house style,” Girardi added. “We let the show determine that.”
To emphasize this point, the duo presented early development images of the upcoming “Absolute Batman” series, which captivated the Bonlieu audience during Wednesday’s DC Studios showcase.
A further testament to this approach is “Get Jiro,” a project seven years in the making and eagerly anticipated at Annecy. Following its 2025 work-in-progress session, attendees at the Volière, Mifa’s largest venue, were treated to a screening of the series’ first episode, revealing the post-apocalyptic setting of this cuisine-revenge themed half-hour show.
Animation enthusiasts were delighted by the episode, which introduced villains and set the tone for the intense series adapted from the best-selling Vertigo comic by the late Anthony Bourdain, co-created with Joel Rose.
John Hopewell contributed to this article.
