Hazbin Hotel Creator Announces New Animated Film Featuring Magical Dinosaurs

It’s an exciting time for YouTube creators stepping into the world of filmmaking. Warner Bros. Pictures Animation has announced a collaboration with Vivienne “VivziePop” Medrano for an animated musical film titled Prehistoria, which is set to hit theaters.

Medrano is widely recognized for her work on the musical dark comedy series Hazbin Hotel and Helluva Boss, both of which amassed hundreds of millions of views on YouTube before making their way to Prime Video.

The announcement of Prehistoria was made by Warner Bros. Pictures Animation president Bill Damaschke during a presentation at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival. While specific details about the film are limited, we do know it will take place outside of Medrano’s established “Hellaverse” and will feature dinosaurs with magical abilities—because why not?

“Since I began my animation journey, my biggest dream was to be part of a feature film,” Medrano shared. “Now, to be creating an original story that I have been holding for years with Warner Bros. Pictures Animation, a studio whose characters and stories have been a huge part of my life, is truly a dream come true. I’m so excited to share this fossil fantasy world with everyone.”

Medrano gained significant popularity as an indie animator through her YouTube channel, VivziePop, which boasts over 11 million subscribers. The pilot for Hazbin Hotel has garnered over 123 million views since its debut in October 2019, leading to the creation of the multi-season series Helluva Boss. Prime Video later picked up Hazbin Hotel, which achieved the largest global debut for an animated series on the platform and has been greenlit for five seasons. Known for her unique art style, catchy music, and a touch of profanity, both of Medrano’s series have received generally positive reviews from critics.

The announcement of Prehistoria comes at a pivotal moment for Warner Bros. Animation. While the studio has produced some of the most iconic cartoons in history, it has faced challenges during David Zaslav’s time as CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery. The company has removed a significant number of animated shows from HBO Max over the years, likely to avoid paying residuals.

The most notable misstep occurred when Warner Bros. Discovery attempted to shelve the upcoming Coyote vs. Acme film for a tax write-off. However, after public outcry, they reversed their decision, allowing the filmmakers to seek other distributors. The film is now set to release in theaters this August.

As Zaslav departs Warner Bros. with a substantial exit package and the company prepares for a potential merger with Paramount, the future of Warner Bros.’s animation division remains uncertain. While Zaslav appeared to have a somewhat antagonistic stance toward the division, Paramount already holds a significant presence in the animation landscape through Nickelodeon, suggesting that “redundancies” could be on the horizon if the merger proceeds.