Feb 10, 2023

Report Bill Damaschke, Former DreamWorks Executive, Nominated to Head Warner Animation Group

Longtime DreamWorks executive Bill Damaschke will take over Warner Animation Group (WAG), the feature animation division of Warner Bros. Pictures.

Deadline reports that Damaschke and Warner Bros. are currently in negotiations for his appointment. No details on Damaschke's role have yet been announced.

WAG has been operating without a dedicated boss since Allison Abate stepped down in August. Just a few weeks before Abate's departure, the studio abruptly announced that Scoob! Holiday Haunt had been completed, even though it was only weeks away from completion. One of the producers and writers on that project was Abate's husband, Tony Servone.

Damascene would have an uphill battle if he were to take over the creative and rudderless department. Space Jam: A New Legacy, Tom and Jerry, Scooby! and The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part. The division took a bit of a hit last year with "DC League of Super-Pets," which grossed over $200 million worldwide.

Upcoming WAG projects include "Coyote vs. Acme," which is well on its way to completion, and "Cat in the Hat," still in development. The studio is also expected to play a role in the company's extensive plans to expand the DC Universe.

Damaschke has a long history in the industry. He began his animation career as a production assistant on Disney's "Pocahontas" and then spent 20 years at DreamWorks, eventually becoming the studio's head and overseeing productions such as "How to Train Your Dragon," "Madagascar" and "Kung Fu Panda." He oversaw production of the franchise.

DreamWorks Animation chief Jeffrey Katzenberg once said of Damaschke, "Bill is a student who has become better than a teacher. Today, he is the creative driving force here, and I often want to hear his notes and critiques before my own." Damaschke retired as creative officer of the studio in late 2014.

In 2017, he took over Skydance's animation and family entertainment division, but his tenure was cut short a little over a year after John Lasseter took over as head of Skydance's animation studio. Damaschke also produced a variety of theatrical productions, including "Shrek the Musical" and "Moulin Rouge."

Damaschke is also currently selling the Garcia House, one of Los Angeles' most iconic homes, for $16 million. The house is a mid-century masterpiece by architect John Lautner, who also designed the UPA animation studio. Damaschke and his partner, John McIlwee, purchased the house in 2002 for $1.3 million and undertook an extensive restoration that honors Lautner's original vision. A short documentary about the house can be seen at: