The original ThunderCats show was animated in Japan while being produced, written and voice acted in the United States.

The series was originally distributed by Rankin-Bass Productions then parent company Telepictures Corporation, which would later merge with Lorimar Productions in February 1986. In January 1989, Lorimar-Telepictures was purchased by and folded into Warner Bros. whose Warner Bros. television syndication arm would eventually assume distribution of the show; Warner Bros. has owned the rights to the series (and all Lorimar Telepictures programming) from that point on.