Sony Pictures Animation has set a multi-year deal with Fred Seibert and his Frederator Studios to develop animated feature films, it was announced today by Bob Osher, president of Sony Pictures Digital Productions, and Hannah Minghella, president of production for Sony Pictures Animation. Seibert, a prolific animation producer, promises to be a rich source of original ideas as Sony Pictures Animation continues to advance its development slate.

"It is hard to imagine someone more passionate about animation than Fred Seibert, " said Bob Osher, who first worked with Seibert at Turner Entertainment, when Seibert was president of Hanna-Barbera Productions. "He is a remarkable creative resource."

"Frederator Studios is thrilled to be working with Bob, Hannah, and their team at Sony Pictures Animation," said Fred Seibert. "They've given us a unique opportunity to further develop our incubator for big animation ideas."

"As we look to make a wide variety of animated movies, this relationship with Frederator Studios presents a wealth of fresh ideas and talent," said Hannah Minghella. "It is exciting to be working with Fred and his creative community."

The former president of Hanna-Barbera Productions, Seibert founded Frederator in 1998. At Hanna-Barbera he gathered dozens of creative mavericks to create original cartoons. That grand experiment has produced 138 original shorts, an Academy Award nomination, two Emmy nominations, and seven original half-hour cartoon series at Cartoon Network (including The Powerpuff Girls, Johnny Bravo, Cow and Chicken, I Am Weasel, Courage the Cowardly Dog, The What a Cartoon Show and Dexter's Laboratory). Today, Frederator is regarded as one of the largest and most creative independent cartoon studios, with over 100 projects in active development and production for features, television, and the internet, and several series on the air, including The Fairly OddParents, My Life as a Teenage Robot, Ape Escape Cartoons and Wow Wow Wubbzy. Currently in production are Fanboy and Chum Chum, premiering on Nickelodeon in May, and Adventure Time at Cartoon Network for May 2010.

In 2006 Seibert recognized the potential of online video and launched the Next New Networks, which has so far launched 25 online micro-networks featuring short, pithy and popular content that has made it the top independent supplier of original entertainment on YouTube. Among Seibert's earlier career highlights, as the original creative director he launched MTV: Music Television and, later, transformed Nickelodeon into a top cable network and established the Nick-at-Nite concept.