<PAGE>   1
                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

                             WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

                               -------------------

                                    FORM S-8

                             REGISTRATION STATEMENT

                                      under

                           THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

                               -------------------

                            4KIDS ENTERTAINMENT, INC.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

New York                                                        13-2691380
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(State or other jurisdiction                                (I.R.S. Employer
of incorporation)                                         Identification Number)

1414 Avenue of the Americas, New York, New York                   10019
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(Address of Principal Executive Offices)                       (Zip Code)

                             2001 Stock Option Plan
                           --------------------------
                            (Full Title of the Plan)


                                 Rory A. Greiss
                                Kaye Scholer LLP
                                 425 Park Avenue
                            New York, New York 10022
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                     (Name and address of agent for service)

                                 (212) 836-8261
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                     (Telephone number, including area code,
                              of agent for service)


                                Page 1 of 7 Pages

                         Exhibit Index Begins on Page 3
<PAGE>   2
                            SECTION 10 (A) PROSPECTUS

         The document containing the information specified in Part I of this
Registration Statement on Form S-8 will be sent or given to participants in the
Plan as specified by Rule 428(b)(1) under the Securities Act of 1933, as
amended. Such documents are not required to be, and are not being, filed by the
Registrant with the Securities and Exchange Commission, either as part of this
Registration Statement or as prospectuses or prospectus supplements pursuant to
Rule 424 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. Such documents, together
with the documents incorporated by reference herein pursuant to Item 3 of Part
II of this Registration Statement on Form S-8, constitute a prospectus that
meets the requirements of Section 10 (a) of the Securities Act of 1933, as
amended.

                         CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                             Proposed                Proposed
      Title of                                                Maximum                 Maximum
     Securities                   Amount                     Offering                Aggregate
        to be                     to be                      Price Per               Offering             Amount of
     Registered                 Registered                   Share (1)               Price (1)        Registration Fee
---------------------  ----------------------------  -------------------------  -------------------  -------------------
<S>                    <C>                           <C>                        <C>                  <C>
    Common Stock,
   par value $.01             600,000 shares                 $18.05(2)             $10,830,000            $2,707.50
      per share
</TABLE>

---------------------

(1)      Estimated solely for the purpose of calculating the registration fee.

(2)      Based upon the average of the high and low prices of the Common Stock
         on The New York Stock Exchange on September 19, 2001.

         Pursuant to Rule 416(c) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended,
         this Registration Statement also covers such additional indeterminate
         number of shares as may become issuable pursuant to anti-dilution and
         adjustment provisions of any options to purchase shares registered
         hereby.

                                     PART II

               INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT

Item 3.  Incorporation of Documents by Reference.

         The following documents filed with the Commission pursuant to the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, are incorporated by reference into
this Registration Statement.

         (a) The Registrant's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year
ended December 31, 2000 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on
April 2, 2001.

         (b) The Registrant's Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the quarters
ended March 31, 2001 and June 30, 2001 filed with the Securities and Exchange
Commission on May 15, 2001 and August 14, 2001, respectively.

         (c) The description of the Registrant's Common Stock contained in the
Registration Statement on Form 8-A filed with the Securities and Exchange
Commission on September 13, 2000.

                  All documents subsequently filed by the Registrant pursuant to
Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 and 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as
amended, prior to the filing of a post-effective amendment which indicates that
all the securities offered have been sold or which deregisters all the
securities then remaining unsold,

                                        2
<PAGE>   3
shall be deemed to be incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement
and to be part thereof from the date of filing of such documents.

Item 4.  Description of Securities.

         Not Applicable.

Item 5.  Interest of Named Experts and Counsel.

         Not Applicable.

Item 6.  Indemnification of Officers and Directors.

         Section 721 through 726 inclusive of the Business Corporation Law of
New York permits indemnification of directors, officers and employees of a
corporation under certain conditions and subject to certain limitations. The
Registrant's Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws require the Registrant to
indemnify its officers, directors and employees to the fullest extent permitted
by law, including full or partial indemnification for any judgment, settlement
or related expense. In addition, advances of expenses to officers and directors
are permitted upon an undertaking by the person to be indemnified to repay all
such expenses if he or she is ultimately found not to be entitled to
indemnification. The indemnification provision in the Registrant's Certificate
of Incorporation applies to all actions and proceedings including those brought
by or in the right of the Registrant. Directors and officers remain liable for
acts and omissions not in good faith or which involve intentional misconduct and
transactions from which such officer or director derives improper personal
benefit. In addition, in March 2001, the Registrant purchased an aggregate of
$50,000,000 of insurance from a variety of insurance carriers for
indemnification of all of its directors and officers at a cost of $390,000.

Item 7.  Exemption for Registration Claimed.

         Not Applicable.

Item 8.  Exhibits.

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
Exhibit Number                                       Description
-----------------       ---------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                     <C>
        5               Opinion of Kaye Scholer LLP.

       10               2001 Stock Option Plan - incorporated by reference to the Registrant's
                        Definitive Proxy Statement relating to the Registrant's 2001 Annual
                        Meeting of Stockholders filed with the Securities and Exchange
                        Commission on April 20, 2001.

       23               Consent of Deloitte & Touche LLP.
</TABLE>

Item 9.  Undertakings.

         (a)      The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes:

                  (1) To file, during any period in which offers or sales are
         being made, a post-effective amendment to this Registration Statement

                  (i)      To include any prospectus required by section 10(a)
                           (3) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended;

                  (ii)     To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events
                           arising after the effective date of the Registration
                           Statement (or the most recent post-effective
                           amendment thereof) which,

                                        3
<PAGE>   4
                           individually or in the aggregate, represent a
                           fundamental change in the information set forth in
                           the registration statement; and

                  (iii)    To include any material information with respect to
                           the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in
                           the registration statement or any material change to
                           such information in the registration statement.

                  (2) That, for the purpose of determining any liability under
         the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, each such post-effective
         amendment shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating
         to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities
         at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering
         thereof.

                  (3) To remove from registration by means of a post-effective
         amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at
         the termination of the offering.

                  (4) The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes that, for
         purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933,
         as amended, each filing of the registrant's annual report pursuant to
         Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as
         amended, that is incorporated by reference in the registration
         statement shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating
         to the securities offered therein and the offering of such securities
         at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering
         thereof.

                  (5) Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under
         the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, may be permitted to directors,
         officers and controlling persons of the registrant pursuant to the
         foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the registrant has been advised
         that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission such
         indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Act and
         is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for
         indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the
         registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or
         controlling person of the registrant in the successful defense of any
         action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or
         controlling person in connection with the securities being registered,
         the registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter
         has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of
         appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by
         it is against public policy as expressed in the Act and will be
         governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

                                   SIGNATURES

                  Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as
amended, the registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that
it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this
registration statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto
duly authorized, in the city of New York, state of New York, on this 19th day of
September, 2001.

                                        4KIDS ENTERTAINMENT, INC.


                                        By   /s/ Alfred R. Kahn
                                            ------------------------------------
                                            Alfred R. Kahn
                                            Chairman of the Board

                                        4
<PAGE>   5
                  Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as
amended, this registration statement has been signed below by the following
persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated.
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
<S>                   <C>                            <C>
Date:                 September 19, 2001                            /s/ Alfred R. Kahn
                                                     --------------------------------------------------
                                                                      Alfred R. Kahn,
                                                                   Chairman of the Board
                                                                  Chief Executive Officer
                                                                        and Director

Date:                 September 19, 2001                             /s/ Joel J. Cohen
                                                     --------------------------------------------------
                                                                       Joel J. Cohen,
                                                                          Director


Date:                 September 19, 2001                              /s/ Jay Emmett
                                                     --------------------------------------------------
                                                                        Jay Emmett,
                                                                          Director



Date:                 September 19, 2001                           /s/ Steven M. Grossman
                                                     --------------------------------------------------
                                                                     Steven M. Grossman
                                                                          Director


Date:                 September 19, 2001                           /s/ Joseph P. Garrity
                                                     --------------------------------------------------
                                                                     Joseph P. Garrity,
                                                            Executive Vice President, Treasurer,
                                                              Principal Financial Officer and
                                                                Principal Accounting Officer
</TABLE>

                                        5
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{"company-data": {"conformed-name": "4 KIDS ENTERTAINMENT INC", "cik": "0000058592", "assigned-sic": "6794", "irs-number": "132691380", "state-of-incorporation": "NY", "fiscal-year-end": "1231"}, "filing-values": {"form-type": "S-8", "act": "33", "file-number": "333-69696", "film-number": "1741185"}, "business-address": {"street1": "1414 AVE OF THE AMERICAS", "city": "NEW YORK", "state": "NY", "zip": "10019", "phone": "2127587666"}, "mail-address": {"street1": "1414 AVENUE OF THE AMERICAS", "city": "NEW YORK", "state": "NY", "zip": "10019"}, "former-company": [{"former-conformed-name": "AMERICAN LEISURE INDUSTRIES INC", "date-changed": "19740822"}, {"former-conformed-name": "LEISURE CONCEPTS INC", "date-changed": "19920703"}]}
1
                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

                             WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

                               -------------------

                                    FORM S-8

                             REGISTRATION STATEMENT

                                      under

                           THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

                               -------------------

                            4KIDS ENTERTAINMENT, INC.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

New York                                                        13-2691380
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(State or other jurisdiction                                (I.R.S. Employer
of incorporation)                                         Identification Number)

1414 Avenue of the Americas, New York, New York                   10019
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(Address of Principal Executive Offices)                       (Zip Code)

                             2001 Stock Option Plan
                           --------------------------
                            (Full Title of the Plan)

                                 Rory A. Greiss
                                Kaye Scholer LLP
                                 425 Park Avenue
                            New York, New York 10022
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                     (Name and address of agent for service)

                                 (212) 836-8261
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                     (Telephone number, including area code,
                              of agent for service)

                                Page 1 of 7 Pages

                         Exhibit Index Begins on Page 3
2
                            SECTION 10 (A) PROSPECTUS

         The document containing the information specified in Part I of this
Registration Statement on Form S-8 will be sent or given to participants in the
Plan as specified by Rule 428(b)(1) under the Securities Act of 1933, as
amended. Such documents are not required to be, and are not being, filed by the
Registrant with the Securities and Exchange Commission, either as part of this
Registration Statement or as prospectuses or prospectus supplements pursuant to
Rule 424 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. Such documents, together
with the documents incorporated by reference herein pursuant to Item 3 of Part
II of this Registration Statement on Form S-8, constitute a prospectus that
meets the requirements of Section 10 (a) of the Securities Act of 1933, as
amended.

                         CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
Proposed                Proposed
      Title of                                                Maximum                 Maximum
     Securities                   Amount                     Offering                Aggregate
        to be                     to be                      Price Per               Offering             Amount of
     Registered                 Registered                   Share (1)               Price (1)        Registration Fee
---------------------  ----------------------------  -------------------------  -------------------  -------------------
Common Stock,
   par value $.01             600,000 shares                 $18.05(2)             $10,830,000            $2,707.50
      per share
---------------------

(1)      Estimated solely for the purpose of calculating the registration fee.

(2)      Based upon the average of the high and low prices of the Common Stock
         on The New York Stock Exchange on September 19, 2001.

         Pursuant to Rule 416(c) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended,
         this Registration Statement also covers such additional indeterminate
         number of shares as may become issuable pursuant to anti-dilution and
         adjustment provisions of any options to purchase shares registered
         hereby.

                                     PART II

               INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT

Item 3.  Incorporation of Documents by Reference.

         The following documents filed with the Commission pursuant to the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, are incorporated by reference into
this Registration Statement.

         (a) The Registrant's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year
ended December 31, 2000 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on
April 2, 2001.

         (b) The Registrant's Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the quarters
ended March 31, 2001 and June 30, 2001 filed with the Securities and Exchange
Commission on May 15, 2001 and August 14, 2001, respectively.

         (c) The description of the Registrant's Common Stock contained in the
Registration Statement on Form 8-A filed with the Securities and Exchange
Commission on September 13, 2000.

                  All documents subsequently filed by the Registrant pursuant to
Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 and 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as
amended, prior to the filing of a post-effective amendment which indicates that
all the securities offered have been sold or which deregisters all the
securities then remaining unsold,

                                        2
3
shall be deemed to be incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement
and to be part thereof from the date of filing of such documents.

Item 4.  Description of Securities.

         Not Applicable.

Item 5.  Interest of Named Experts and Counsel.

         Not Applicable.

Item 6.  Indemnification of Officers and Directors.

         Section 721 through 726 inclusive of the Business Corporation Law of
New York permits indemnification of directors, officers and employees of a
corporation under certain conditions and subject to certain limitations. The
Registrant's Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws require the Registrant to
indemnify its officers, directors and employees to the fullest extent permitted
by law, including full or partial indemnification for any judgment, settlement
or related expense. In addition, advances of expenses to officers and directors
are permitted upon an undertaking by the person to be indemnified to repay all
such expenses if he or she is ultimately found not to be entitled to
indemnification. The indemnification provision in the Registrant's Certificate
of Incorporation applies to all actions and proceedings including those brought
by or in the right of the Registrant. Directors and officers remain liable for
acts and omissions not in good faith or which involve intentional misconduct and
transactions from which such officer or director derives improper personal
benefit. In addition, in March 2001, the Registrant purchased an aggregate of
$50,000,000 of insurance from a variety of insurance carriers for
indemnification of all of its directors and officers at a cost of $390,000.

Item 7.  Exemption for Registration Claimed.

         Not Applicable.

Item 8.  Exhibits.
Exhibit Number                                       Description
-----------------       ---------------------------------------------------------------------
5               Opinion of Kaye Scholer LLP.

       10               2001 Stock Option Plan - incorporated by reference to the Registrant's
                        Definitive Proxy Statement relating to the Registrant's 2001 Annual
                        Meeting of Stockholders filed with the Securities and Exchange
                        Commission on April 20, 2001.

       23               Consent of Deloitte & Touche LLP.
Item 9.  Undertakings.

         (a)      The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes:

                  (1) To file, during any period in which offers or sales are
         being made, a post-effective amendment to this Registration Statement

                  (i)      To include any prospectus required by section 10(a)
                           (3) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended;

                  (ii)     To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events
                           arising after the effective date of the Registration
                           Statement (or the most recent post-effective
                           amendment thereof) which,

                                        3
4
                           individually or in the aggregate, represent a
                           fundamental change in the information set forth in
                           the registration statement; and

                  (iii)    To include any material information with respect to
                           the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in
                           the registration statement or any material change to
                           such information in the registration statement.

                  (2) That, for the purpose of determining any liability under
         the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, each such post-effective
         amendment shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating
         to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities
         at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering
         thereof.

                  (3) To remove from registration by means of a post-effective
         amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at
         the termination of the offering.

                  (4) The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes that, for
         purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933,
         as amended, each filing of the registrant's annual report pursuant to
         Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as
         amended, that is incorporated by reference in the registration
         statement shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating
         to the securities offered therein and the offering of such securities
         at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering
         thereof.

                  (5) Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under
         the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, may be permitted to directors,
         officers and controlling persons of the registrant pursuant to the
         foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the registrant has been advised
         that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission such
         indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Act and
         is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for
         indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the
         registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or
         controlling person of the registrant in the successful defense of any
         action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or
         controlling person in connection with the securities being registered,
         the registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter
         has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of
         appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by
         it is against public policy as expressed in the Act and will be
         governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

                                   SIGNATURES

                  Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as
amended, the registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that
it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this
registration statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto
duly authorized, in the city of New York, state of New York, on this 19th day of
September, 2001.

                                        4KIDS ENTERTAINMENT, INC.

                                        By   /s/ Alfred R. Kahn
                                            ------------------------------------
                                            Alfred R. Kahn
                                            Chairman of the Board

                                        4
5
                  Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as
amended, this registration statement has been signed below by the following
persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated.
Date:                 September 19, 2001                            /s/ Alfred R. Kahn
                                                     --------------------------------------------------
                                                                      Alfred R. Kahn,
                                                                   Chairman of the Board
                                                                  Chief Executive Officer
                                                                        and Director

Date:                 September 19, 2001                             /s/ Joel J. Cohen
                                                     --------------------------------------------------
                                                                       Joel J. Cohen,
                                                                          Director

Date:                 September 19, 2001                              /s/ Jay Emmett
                                                     --------------------------------------------------
                                                                        Jay Emmett,
                                                                          Director

Date:                 September 19, 2001                           /s/ Steven M. Grossman
                                                     --------------------------------------------------
                                                                     Steven M. Grossman
                                                                          Director

Date:                 September 19, 2001                           /s/ Joseph P. Garrity
                                                     --------------------------------------------------
                                                                     Joseph P. Garrity,
                                                            Executive Vice President, Treasurer,
                                                              Principal Financial Officer and
                                                                Principal Accounting Officer
5