DR Movie
Corporate brand
UnclaimedSouth Korean animation studio known for outsourced production, co-productions, and animation work for international television and film projects.
Last updated August 22, 2026
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Overview
DR Movie Co., Ltd. is a South Korean animation studio established in Seoul in 1990. Its business has centered on production services and animation outsourcing for Korean, Japanese, American, and other international partners, rather than on a large portfolio of independently originated commercial franchises. The studio has frequently collaborated with Japanese anime companies and is particularly associated with Madhouse, with which it entered an exclusive partnership in 1991. Madhouse later became a partial investor in DR Movie, and in 2006 Madhouse's then-parent company, Index Holdings, invested 600 million yen in the Korean studio. DR Movie's relationship with Madhouse became one of its most important international production channels. The studio handled animation production for Madhouse titles beginning with Tenjho Tenge in 2004 and later worked on notable projects including Claymore in 2007. Its role has generally involved animation production and related studio services within larger projects, allowing partner companies to combine Korean production capacity with Japanese creative direction, financing, and distribution structures. The studio has also worked with a broad range of international entertainment companies and animation producers, including Nickelodeon, Sunrise, Warner Bros. Animation, Gonzo, and Studio Ghibli. DR Movie is identified as the only Korean contract studio to have worked with Studio Ghibli. Its credited work for American animation has included projects connected with Avatar: The Last Airbender, The Batman, Justice League, X-Men: Evolution, Young Justice, Castlevania: Nocturne, and other television or direct-to-video productions. Alongside contract work, DR Movie has participated in original productions and co-productions. These include Elsword: El Lady, Flowering Heart, Guardian Fairy Michel, Metal Fighter T-Boys, Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles, Paboo Infinity Force, Terror Man, and production involvement in The Rising of the Shield Hero Season 2. Flowering Heart was produced with Bridge and the company's Busan DR operation. DR Movie also maintains a Busan production facility known as Busan DR. The company explored closer cooperation with Chinese animation producers during the 2000s. In March 2007, it entered a joint-venture studio arrangement in Qingdao, China, reflecting an effort to broaden its regional production network beyond Korea and Japan. DR Movie's profile therefore rests on its role as a cross-border animation contractor and production partner, with experience spanning anime, Western television animation, feature-related projects, and original Korean animation. Public reference material does not establish a current parent company, listed status, current ownership structure, or named executive leadership.
History
DR Movie was established in Seoul in 1990 as a South Korean animation studio. From its early development, the company pursued international production relationships, and in 1991 it began an exclusive partnership with the Japanese animation studio Madhouse. The relationship positioned DR Movie as a Korean production base for Japanese animation projects and created a durable connection between the two companies. Madhouse later acquired a partial ownership or investment interest in DR Movie in 2001. The relationship was further reinforced in 2006, when Index Holdings, then Madhouse's parent company, invested 600 million yen in DR Movie. The studio's Madhouse-related production work included animation production for Tenjho Tenge in 2004 and Claymore in 2007, among other projects. These collaborations illustrate DR Movie's principal operating model: contributing animation production capacity to projects led, financed, or distributed by partner studios. DR Movie's international work extended beyond Madhouse. The company worked with Japanese companies such as Sunrise and Gonzo, and with major international entertainment organizations including Nickelodeon and Warner Bros. Animation. It also worked with Studio Ghibli and is described in reference material as the only Korean contract studio with which Ghibli has worked. Its credits and production associations span anime, American television animation, animated features, and direct-to-video projects. The studio also developed its own production and co-production slate. Referenced original or associated projects include Guardian Fairy Michel, Metal Fighter T-Boys, Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles, Paboo Infinity Force, Elsword: El Lady, Flowering Heart, and Terror Man. Flowering Heart was produced as a co-production involving Bridge and Busan DR. DR Movie later participated in The Rising of the Shield Hero Season 2 with Kinema Citrus. Geographically, DR Movie has operated from Seoul while maintaining a production facility in Busan known as Busan DR. During the 2000s, the company also examined expansion through Chinese partnerships. In March 2007 it entered a joint-venture studio arrangement in Qingdao, China. This initiative reflected the broader regional nature of the company's production strategy, linking Korean studio labor and infrastructure with Japanese, Chinese, and Western animation businesses. Publicly available reference material presents DR Movie primarily as an animation production and outsourcing company rather than as a consumer-facing franchise owner. It does not provide a reliable current executive roster, current ownership breakdown, present corporate group, or confirmed official website. Its documented significance comes from its long-running cross-border partnerships and its contribution to a substantial range of anime and Western animated productions.
- 2007
Qingdao joint venture is established
[1]DR Movie enters a joint-venture studio arrangement in Qingdao, China, to support cooperation with Chinese animation companies.
- 2006
Index Holdings invests in DR Movie
[1]Index Holdings, then Madhouse's parent company, invests 600 million yen in DR Movie.
- 2004
Animation production begins on Tenjho Tenge
[1]DR Movie undertakes animation production work for the Madhouse anime Tenjho Tenge.
- 2001
Madhouse becomes a partial investor
[1]Madhouse becomes a partial owner or investor in DR Movie.
- 1991
Exclusive partnership with Madhouse begins
[1]DR Movie begins an exclusive partnership with Japanese animation studio Madhouse.
- 1990
DR Movie is established in Seoul
[1]The South Korean animation studio is established in Seoul.
Products and positioning
Cross-border animation production and outsourcing studio
Original or associated animated production
Elsword: El Lady
An animated project associated with the Korean online game Elsword. It is listed among DR Movie's original productions and represents the studio's involvement in animation derived from Korean game properties.
Animated television series · 2016
Flowering Heart
A South Korean animated series broadcast from 2016 to 2017. DR Movie participated in the production together with Bridge and its Busan DR operation, placing the studio in a co-production role on an original Korean television property.
Animated film
Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles
An animated feature associated with the Robotech franchise and included among DR Movie's original or associated productions. The project demonstrates the studio's participation in internationally oriented animation work beyond Japanese television anime.
Animated production
Terror Man
An animated project listed among DR Movie's original productions. Available reference material identifies the title as part of the studio's non-outsourced production activities but does not provide further production or release details.
Anime television series
The Rising of the Shield Hero Season 2
DR Movie co-produced the second season of The Rising of the Shield Hero with Kinema Citrus. Its participation illustrates the studio's continuing role in Japanese anime production partnerships.
Anime television series · 2007
Claymore
A Madhouse anime for which DR Movie was responsible for animation production work. The project is one of the studio's notable early contributions to the Madhouse partnership.
Outsourced Western animated series
Avatar: The Last Airbender
DR Movie provided outsourced animation work on 19 episodes of the American animated television series Avatar: The Last Airbender.
Outsourced animated film and television production
Warner Bros. and DC animated productions
DR Movie has been credited on a range of Warner Bros. Animation and DC-related projects, including The Batman, Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman, Batman and Harley Quinn, Justice League, Justice League Action, Justice League Dark, Young Justice, and other productions.
Outsourced animated series and films
American genre animation projects
The studio's American outsourcing credits also include projects such as Godzilla: The Series, Castlevania: Nocturne, X-Men: Evolution, Teen Titans, The Simpsons, Masters of the Universe: Revelation, and several Marvel, Hellboy, and other licensed productions.
Brand decisions
2007
Entering a Qingdao joint ventureM&ABackground
DR Movie sought to develop partnerships with Chinese animation companies and expand its regional production network.
Action taken
The studio entered into a joint-venture studio arrangement in Qingdao, China.
Aftermath
The arrangement demonstrated an effort to extend DR Movie's production footprint into China, but the available reference does not document the venture's later performance or status.
2006
Accepting strategic investment from Index HoldingsM&ABackground
DR Movie had maintained a long-standing partnership with Madhouse, which had become a partial investor in 2001. Index Holdings, then Madhouse's parent company, subsequently invested 600 million yen in the Korean studio.
Action taken
Index Holdings made a 600 million yen investment in DR Movie.
Aftermath
The investment reinforced DR Movie's connection to Madhouse and its role in Japanese anime production, although publicly available material does not specify the later ownership outcome.
Investment. 600 million yen (2006)
Sources4 sources
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