Posted in: Cartoon Network, TV | Tagged: Adult Swim

Adult Swim Head "Excited About" New Show in Development; Going Global

Adult Swim head Michael Ouweleen discussed courting international creators and teased a new show in development that he's "excited about."

Published Tue, 23 Jun 2026 09:08:08 -0500

by Ray Flook

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Article Summary

Adult Swim boss Michael Ouweleen says the brand is actively opening its doors to international animation creators.
Ouweleen says Adult Swim prefers shaping ideas with creators early, not buying projects that are already fully mapped out.
Adult Swim is developing a new series with a British and American team, with Ouweleen saying he is excited about it.
As HBO Max expands worldwide, Adult Swim is aiming for broader global reach across Europe, Australia, and beyond.

It's early on Tuesday over here in New York City, but Adult Swim is already making news over at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival. After teasing what viewers can expect from the Rick and Morty spinoff, President Curtis, Adult Swim, Cartoon Network & Boomerang head Michael Ouweleen discussed how the long-running and ever-expanding late-night programming block continues to open its doors to global creators – and even dropped a tease about a project in development that he's "excited about.

"Most of the pitches coming in are people who have a thing fully figured out, and that's not how we operate," Ouweleen shared, explaining how Adult Swim helps develop shows. "In advance of Annecy, we're getting lots of emails from people telling us, 'I'll be in this booth with a full season,' but that's not who we are. We want to meet you as a person and, over time, develop what the best expression of your idea is. We don't get in and manhandle anything, but if something's already really thought through, the chances are it won't be as idiosyncratic as an Adult Swim thing needs to be."

That means meeting with a creator whose entire concept and funding for their project is already pretty much locked in – and that's not how Adult Swim operates. "Soccer camp for kids in the U.S. starts really young, and that is what Adult Swim is trying to do for animation right now," Ouweleen explained. "We're doing that through IDs and shorts." In fact, he shared that Adult Swim is developing a new show with a British and American creative team that Ouweleen is "excited about," adding that he's been "vibing off British comedy for decades."

Shifting its focus more toward animation as opposed to live-action, Adult Swim produces eight to nine shows per year – and those shows will need to have a global reach that matches HBO Max's expansion into Europe, Australia, and other regions. "We were seeing people going, 'When can I get it?' and it was frustrating. People in Australia knew of Adult Swim in the 2000s, and we were on Channel 4, obviously in the UK, and they're having a tough time. But now that HBO Max is growing there, people won't have to watch us on VPNs anymore," Ouweleen shared, regarding Adult Swim becoming more of a global brand. "We have the cred of not trying to fool anyone," he added. "And this is such a lovely excuse and reputation to try things. If we believe in it, people will give it a shot. That's a privileged position."

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