When it was announced earlier this year thatRooster Teeth would be shutting down, many wondered what would happen to some of the company’s popular properties likeRWBYandGen:Lock, the latter of which features an all-star voice cast includingMichael B. Jordan, who was also a producer of the series,David Tennant,Dakota Fanning, and more. We have some answers now, asAnime News Networkreports that Viz Media has acquired the rights toRWBY.The company announced the acquisition at an Anime Expo panel.
RWBYis an animated web series created byMonty Oumthat follows four teenage girls and their companions who battle supernatural monsters. Rooster Teeth produced over 100 episodes of the series before their closing at the beginning of this year, and the show has gaineda passionate following over the past decade. Viz Media has been involved with the property previously, as they have published several variations of manga adaptions of the show. Now, after the acquisition, Viz could potentially continue the series with new episodes.
Rooster Teeth Produced Online Content for Two Decades
Rooster Teeth was first founded in 2003, and the company gained popularity through their online animated seriesRed vs. Blue, which was animated using the video gameHalo. They steadily built up a catalog of animation, podcasts, and video game-based content. Their largest success would come withRWBY, which grew in popularity all over the world, leading to additional shows, manga adaptions, merchandise, and more.The show gained such popularity in Japanthat animation studio Shaft produced a spin-off series titledRWBY: Ice Queendomin 2022.
The company’s growth eventually led them to be acquired by Warner Bros. Discovery, and even more ambitious projects were pursued, like the animated seriesGen:Lock, which moved to the streaming service Max (then HBO Max) for its second season. However, in March of 2024, it was announced that the studio would be closing, citing “challenges facing digital media” and “fundamental shifts in consumer behavior and monetization.” There has been no word on whetherGen:Lockwill also be acquired and continued by another studio, but it was among the intellectual property Warner Bros. Discovery was interested in selling at the time of Rooster Teeth’s closure.
For the many passionate fans ofRWBYaround the world, let’s hope the animated series will have a fitting continuation under Viz Media. Stay tuned at Collider for more news on film, television, and more.
