WildBrain Studios

Formation and structure

WildBrain Studios was formally established in January 2016 when its parent company, then named DHX Media, announced the construction of a new 60,000 square-foot production facility in Vancouver. The purpose of the new studio was to centralize the company's television production activities under one roof, focusing on both animated and live-action projects. Throughout 2016, the production teams from two recently acquired studios, Studio B Productions and Nerd Corps Entertainment, were relocated into the new Vancouver building. The studio was structured around these two core teams, with the former Nerd Corps group specializing in computer-generated imagery (CGI) animation and the former Studio B team focusing on traditional 2D animation, including work created with Adobe Animate software. This consolidation created a major production hub for children's entertainment in Western Canada, bringing together diverse artistic and technical talent from across the country.

Evolution and current operations

Following its launch, WildBrain Studios became the central production division for its parent company as other regional studios were gradually closed or sold. By 2019, the Vancouver location remained as the only active studio within the division, a status that confirmed its primary role. The company continued to expand its creative capabilities through strategic acquisitions, such as the 2023 purchase of the Toronto-based pre-production animation studio House of Cool, which operates under its own branding. In response to broader industry shifts and the adoption of remote work practices, WildBrain announced plans to downsize its physical Vancouver studio footprint and relocate to new offices by 2026. This move reflects a strategic adaptation to modern production workflows while maintaining the studio's core creative functions in the Vancouver region.

Former and related studios

WildBrain Studios' history is intertwined with several production companies that were previously owned by DHX Media and later WildBrain. These studios were either merged into the Vancouver operation, rebranded, or sold off over time, and their legacies contribute to the library and production expertise of the current WildBrain Studios. The Halifax Film Company, founded in May 2004, produced live-action television, children's stop-motion series, CGI productions and dramas before merging with Decode Entertainment in May 2006 to form DHX Media. This studio was sold to IoM Media Ventures in November 2018 but continues to provide animation for WildBrain shows. DHX Media Los Angeles originated from the acquisition of WildBrain Entertainment in September 2010, was used for work-for-hire productions until 2013, and was permanently closed in 2017. The Toronto-based Decode Entertainment was founded in 1997 and ceased production by 2011 after its merger helped create DHX Media, while a separate live-action studio from Epitome Pictures was rebranded as DHX Studios Toronto in 2016 and sold in 2019.

Detailed history of Island of Misfits (Halifax Film)

The Halifax Film Company was established in May 2004 by former Salter Street Films executives Michael Donovan and Charles Bishop. The studio, originally based at Purdy's Wharf, produced a diverse slate of content including live-action television shows, children's stop-motion series, CGI productions and dramas. A significant early move was its 2005 purchase of the long-running Canadian comedy series This Hour Has 22 Minutes from Alliance Atlantis. The company was supported by Nova Scotia Business Inc., which helped it expand and open new markets. On May 16, 2006, Halifax Film and Decode Entertainment announced their merger to form the holding company DHX Media, with Halifax Film becoming a subsidiary. In 2010, all DHX Media subsidiaries were merged under the single DHX Media brand. The studio relocated from Purdy's Wharf to the Park Lane Mall in Halifax in 2014. By 2019, its production focus had shifted exclusively to CGI-animated material, with the notable exception of continuing to produce This Hour Has 22 Minutes.

• May 2004: Halifax Film Company founded by Michael Donovan and Charles Bishop.
• 2005: Purchased This Hour Has 22 Minutes from Alliance Atlantis.
• May 16, 2006: Announced merger with Decode Entertainment to form DHX Media.
• 2010: Merged with other DHX subsidiaries under the DHX Media brand.
• 2014: Relocated studio to Park Lane Mall in Halifax.
• November 2018: Sold to IoM Media Ventures, led by former DHX CEO Dana Landry.
• 2019: Produced solely CGI animation except for This Hour Has 22 Minutes.

Detailed history of DHX Media Toronto (Decode Entertainment)

Decode Entertainment was founded on February 27, 1997, in Toronto, Ontario by Steven DeNure, Neil Court, and John Delmage. The company name "Decode" was an acronym formed from the founders' surnames: DeNure, Court, and Delmage. It operated as an international supplier of television and interactive programming for children and youth, producing content across traditional animation, computer-generated animation, and live-action formats. On May 16, 2006, Decode Entertainment and Halifax Film announced their merger to form the holding company DHX Media, with Decode becoming a subsidiary responsible for distributing Halifax Film shows and other DHX properties. In 2010, as part of a corporate rebranding, all DHX Media subsidiaries including Decode Entertainment were brought under the single DHX Media name. Production of new content at the former Decode offices in Toronto ceased by 2011, marking the end of its operational history under that brand.

Corporate restructuring and studio closures

The period from 2016 to 2019 involved significant restructuring of DHX Media's, later WildBrain's, studio assets. In 2016, the company rebranded the acquired Epitome Pictures as DHX Studios Toronto, a live-action production unit separate from the historical Decode animation studio. The DHX Media Los Angeles studio, acquired in 2010, was shuttered in 2017 after its work-for-hire productions had been moved to Canadian operations years earlier. A major divestment occurred in November 2018 when the Halifax animation studio was sold to IoM Media Ventures. Finally, in 2019, the company sold the building housing DHX Studios Toronto (the former Epitome Pictures), ceasing operations at that location. This series of closures and sales left the Vancouver-based WildBrain Studios as the company's sole in-house production studio by the end of the decade.

Key acquisitions and mergers

The formation and growth of WildBrain Studios were driven by a series of corporate acquisitions and mergers by its parent company. These moves brought established Canadian production houses under one corporate umbrella, which were later integrated into the Vancouver studio. The acquisition of Studio B Productions in 2007 provided the 2D animation team, and the purchase of Nerd Corps Entertainment in 2014 supplied the CGI animation team that form the studio's core units. The 2010 acquisition of WildBrain Entertainment added a Los Angeles presence that was later closed, and the 2014 purchase of Epitome Pictures created a live-action studio in Toronto that was sold in 2019. The most recent acquisition was House of Cool, a pre-production studio bought in 2023 that operates independently. The foundational corporate event was the May 2006 merger of Decode Entertainment and Halifax Film Company, which created the holding company DHX Media and set the stage for the eventual consolidation of production into a single flagship studio over a decade later.

• Studio B Productions: Acquired by DHX Media in 2007, this studio's 2D animation team forms one of the two core production units within WildBrain Studios.
• Nerd Corps Entertainment: Acquired by DHX Media in 2014, its CGI animation team forms the second core production unit of WildBrain Studios.
• WildBrain Entertainment: Acquired in September 2010, this Los Angeles studio was later renamed and eventually closed.
• Epitome Pictures: Acquired in 2014 and rebranded as DHX Studios Toronto in 2016, this live-action studio was sold in 2019.
• House of Cool: Acquired in 2023, this Toronto-based pre-production animation studio continues to operate under its own name.

Questions about WildBrain Studios

What is WildBrain Studios?

WildBrain Studios is the in-house television studio arm of the Canadian entertainment company WildBrain. It is based in Vancouver, British Columbia. The studio was established in 2016 as DHX Studios. It consists of production teams from the former Studio B Productions and Nerd Corps Entertainment.

What happened to the Halifax animation studio?

The Halifax animation studio, originally known as Halifax Film Company and later operating under the DHX banner, was sold by DHX Media in November 2018. It was purchased by IoM Media Ventures, a company led by former DHX CEO Dana Landry. Despite the sale, the Halifax studio continues to provide animation services for television shows owned by WildBrain. Before the sale, it relocated to the Park Lane Mall in 2014 and by 2019 produced only CGI animation aside from This Hour Has 22 Minutes.

Did WildBrain Studios acquire any companies recently?

Yes, in 2023 WildBrain acquired House of Cool, a Toronto-based pre-production animation studio. House of Cool continues to operate under its own established branding. This acquisition is separate from the core Vancouver production studio but expands WildBrain's overall creative and production capabilities within Canada. It is the most recent in a long line of acquisitions that built the parent company's production portfolio.

What are the main production teams within WildBrain Studios?

WildBrain Studios is structured around two main production teams that were integrated from acquired companies. The former Nerd Corps Entertainment team specializes in producing shows using computer-generated imagery (CGI) animation. The former Studio B Productions team focuses on producing traditionally 2D-animated shows, including those created with software like Adobe Animate. These teams were relocated to the new Vancouver studio in 2016 following its construction.

What was Decode Entertainment's relation to WildBrain Studios?

Decode Entertainment was a Toronto-based children's television producer founded on February 27, 1997, by Steven DeNure, Neil Court, and John Delmage. In May 2006, it merged with Halifax Film Company to form the holding company DHX Media, which was later renamed WildBrain. While Decode's brand was retired and its Toronto production ceased by 2011, its corporate merger was the foundational act that created the parent company. That parent company would eventually establish WildBrain Studios in Vancouver in 2016, over a decade later.

Where is WildBrain Studios located?

WildBrain Studios is located in Vancouver, British Columbia. It was established there in 2016 as the in house television studio arm of the Canadian entertainment company WildBrain. The original announcement in January 2016 detailed plans for a 60,000 square foot studio facility in Vancouver focusing on both animated and live action productions. As of 2019, this Vancouver studio became the only remaining studio in the division after other locations were sold or closed. However, due to the adoption of work from home practices, the company plans to downsize this Vancouver studio and relocate to new offices by 2026.

Sources and further reading

• WildBrain Studios (Wikipedia)
• Who We Are (wildbrain.com)

Checked by the Yadude Books desk. Last updated 2026-11-01.