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{{short description|American animation studio}}{{pp-semi-indef|small=yes}}{{For-multi|the DreamWorks live-action counterpart studio from|DreamWorks Pictures|the television arm of this studio|DreamWorks Animation Television}}{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2023}}

factoids

(2004–2009) >{{NASDAQ was|DWA}} (2009–2016)}}Animation>Animated films| predecessor = AmblimationPacific Data Images (as a division of DreamWorks Pictures)> (as DreamWorks Animation SKG)}}Steven SpielbergJeffrey Katzenberg>David Geffen}}| hq_location = 1000 Flower Street| hq_location_city = Glendale, California 91201| hq_location_country = U.S.| num_locations = 2 facilities| area_served = WorldwideMargie Cohn (president (corporate title) & Chief executive officer>CEO)Chief operating officer>COO)Chief creative officer>CCO, DWATV)TITLE=DREAMWORKS ANIMATION NAMES COO ACCESS-DATE=APRIL 21, 2020 DATE=MAY 15, 2019 ARCHIVE-URL=HTTPS://WEB.ARCHIVE.ORG/WEB/20200625030208/HTTPS://KIDSCREEN.COM/2019/05/15/DREAMWORKS-ANIMATION-NAMES-COO/, live, }}List of animated television series>List of animated feature films>Theatrical animated short films}}WEBSITE=DREAMWORKS.COM ARCHIVE-DATE=JANUARY 22, 2022 URL-STATUS=LIVE, | owner = DreamWorks SKG (1994–2004)|Universal Pictures (2016–present)}}DreamWorks Animation TelevisionDreamWorks Channel>DreamWorks PressPUBLISHER=DREAMWORKS ANIMATION SKG PAGE=148 ACCESS-DATE=SEPTEMBER 21, 2011 ARCHIVE-URL=HTTPS://WEB.ARCHIVE.ORG/WEB/20120529091102/HTTP://FILES.SHAREHOLDER.COM/DOWNLOADS/DWA/0X0XS1193125-11-45757/1297401/FILING.PDF DreamWorks New Media}}DreamWorks ClassicsPacific Data Images>PDI/DreamWorks (2000–2015)Pearl Studio>Oriental DreamWorks (2012–2018)}}dreamworks.com}}}}DreamWorks Animation LLC (DWA)WEB, 1995-03-06, DREAMWORKS ANIMATION L.L.C.,weblink 2023-08-31, OpenCorporates, (also known as DreamWorks Animation Studios or simply DreamWorks) is an American animation studio owned by Universal Pictures, a division of NBCUniversal, which is itself a subsidiary of Comcast. The studio has released a total of 48 feature films, including several of the highest-grossing animated films of all time, with Shrek 2 (2004) having been the highest at the time of its release. Its first film, Antz, was released on October 2, 1998, and its latest film was Kung Fu Panda 4 on March 8, 2024; their upcoming theatrical slate of films includes The Wild Robot on September 27, 2024, Dog Man on January 31, 2025, The Bad Guys 2 on August 1, 2025, and (Gabby's Dollhouse#Film|Gabby's Dollhouse: The Movie) on September 26, 2025.NEWS, White, Abbey, Jacob Tremblay, Paul Walter Hauser Are a Young Boy and His Biggest Fear in Trailer for 'Orion and the Dark',weblink 9 November 2023, 9 November 2023, WEB, D'Alessandro, Anthony, DreamWorks Animation's 'Kung Fu Panda 4' Is Happening; Universal Sets 2024 Release,weblink Deadline, August 12, 2022, August 12, 2022, WEB,weblink DreamWorks Animation's 'The Wild Robot' To Bring Life To Early Fall 2024 Box Office, Deadline Hollywood, D'Alessandro, Anthony, December 19, 2023, December 19, 2023, WEB, D'Alessandro, Anthony, DreamWorks Animation’s ‘The Wild Robot’ Will Go One Week Later In The Fall,weblink Deadline, 23 April 2024, 23 April 2024, WEB, Grobar, Matt, 'Dog Man' Movie Based On Books From 'Captain Underpants' Creator Set For 2025 Release From Universal And DWA,weblink Deadline, 29 January 2024, 29 January 2024, WEB, D'Alessandro, Anthony, DreamWorks Animation Sets 'The Bad Guys 2' For Late Summer 2025,weblink Deadline, 26 March 2024, 26 March 2024, WEB, McClintock, Pamela, ‘Gabby’s Dollhouse: The Movie’ to Get the Big-Screen Treatment in 2025,weblink The Hollywood Reporter, 25 April 2024, 25 April 2024, Formed as a division of DreamWorks Pictures in 1994 with alumni from Amblin Entertainment's former animation branch Amblimation, it was spun off into a separate company in 2004. NBCUniversal acquired DreamWorks Animation at a cost of $3.8 billion in 2016. The studio originally made some traditionally animated films, as well as three stop-motion co-productions with Aardman Animations, but now exclusively relies on computer animation. However, in 2022, president Margie Cohn stated that the studio is open to traditional animation.WEB, Jesús Agudo, Margie Cohn, president of DreamWorks Animation, on saving 'Puss in Boots: The Last Wish' and the future of Shrek,weblink eCartelera, 27 January 2024, Spanish, December 13, 2022, Its productions, including The Prince of Egypt, (Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit), and the Shrek, Madagascar, Kung Fu Panda, and How to Train Your Dragon franchises, have received various accolades, including three Academy Awards, 41 Emmy Awards, numerous Annie Awards, and multiple Golden Globe and BAFTA nominations.Films produced by DreamWorks Animation were originally distributed by DreamWorks Pictures until 2005. Paramount Pictures distributed its releases from 2006 through 2012, and 20th Century Fox (currently known as 20th Century Studios) did the same from 2013 through 2017. Most DWA films from 2019 onward have been released through Universal Pictures, which also owns most of the rights to its back catalogue.WEB,weblink 'How To Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World' To Fly A Week Earlier In February, Deadline Hollywood, Anthony, D'Alessandro, September 27, 2018, March 13, 2019, August 5, 2020,weblink live,

History

DreamWorks SKG era (1994–2004)

{{see also|DreamWorks Pictures}}On October 12, 1994, a trio of entertainment players, film director and producer Steven Spielberg, former Disney executive Jeffrey Katzenberg, and music executive David Geffen, founded DreamWorks SKG (the three letters taken from the surnames of the founders). To build the talent base, Spielberg brought over artists from his London-based studio, Amblimation, while Katzenberg recruited some of the top animation staff from Disney.WEB, Sito, Tom, The Late, Great, 2D Animation Renaissance — Part 2,weblink Animation World Network, October 16, 2015, March 16, 2006, June 25, 2020,weblink live, Some of Amblimation's artists came to DreamWorks in 1995, when the studio's last feature, Balto, was completed, with the rest doing so following the studio's closure in 1997.WEB,weblink Shelley Page (DreamWorks Animation), FMX.de, July 4, 2011,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20110201161237weblink">weblink February 1, 2011, WEB, Simon, Sam, Balto,weblink Animated Views, October 16, 2015, May 11, 2003, September 6, 2015,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20150906192202weblink">weblink live, In 1995, DreamWorks signed a co-production deal with Pacific Data Images to form subsidiary PDI, LLC (PDI owned 60% of PDI, LLC, while DreamWorks SKG owned 40%). This new unit would produce computer-generated feature films, beginning with Antz in 1998. In the same year, DreamWorks SKG produced The Prince of Egypt, which used both CGI technology and traditional animation techniques.In 1997, DreamWorks partnered with British stop-motion animation studio Aardman Animations to co-produce and distribute Chicken Run (2000), a stop-motion film already in pre-production.NEWS, Chicken Run: Deal clinched with DreamWorks & Pathe,weblink August 30, 2011, telepathy.co.uk, Telepathy Ltd, December 3, 1997, March 31, 2012,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20120331112534weblink">weblink live, Two years later they extended the deal for an additional four films. With Aardman doing stop-motion and the existing traditional and computer productions, they covered all three major styles of animation.NEWS, Moerk, Christian, DW-Aardman pact drawn,weblink September 3, 2011, Variety, October 27, 1999, May 22, 2012,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20120522043308weblink">weblink live, This partnership had DreamWorks participating in the production of stop-motion films in Bristol, and also had Aardman participating in some of the CGI films made in the United States.Three years later, DreamWorks SKG created DreamWorks Animation, a new business division that would regularly produce both types of animated feature films. The same year DW acquired majority interest (90%) in PDI, and reformed it into PDI/DreamWorks, the Northern California branch of its new business division.WEB, Carlson, Wayne,weblink Pacific Data Images, design.osu.edu, Ohio State University, July 4, 2011,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20110811134916weblink">weblink August 11, 2011, dead, mdy-all, In 2001, Shrek was released and went on to win the first Academy Award for Best Animated Feature Film. Due to the success of CGI animated films, DWA decided the same year to exit hand-drawn animation business after their next two films, (Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron) (2002) and (Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas) (2003), making a total of five hand-drawn films. Beginning with Shrek 2 (2004), all released films, other than the stop-motion film (Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit) (2005) co-produced with Aardman, were produced with CGI.WEB,weblink 2007 Annual Report, DreamWorks Animation SKG, March 17, 2008, July 3, 2011,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20110928232607weblink">weblink September 28, 2011, dead, The releases of Shrek 2 and Shark Tale also made DWA the first animation studio to produce two CGI animated features in a single year.WEB,weblink Annual Report 2004, DreamWorks Animation SKG, files.shareholder.com, March 25, 2005, July 4, 2011,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20120529090957weblink">weblink May 29, 2012, dead,

Public corporation (2004–2016)

The animation division was spun off into a publicly traded company named DreamWorks Animation SKG, Inc. (doing business as DreamWorks Animation LLC) on October 27, 2004, and traded via the New York Stock Exchange.{{citation needed|date=June 2021}} Katzenberg headed the new division, while Spielberg and Geffen remained on board as investors and consultants.WEB,weblink DreamWorks' Katzenberg Still Seeks Advice From Spielberg, Andy, Fixmer, bloomberg.com, Bloomberg L.P., Bloomberg, December 5, 2013, February 24, 2014, March 4, 2014,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20140304113531weblink">weblink live, DWA also inherited interests in PDI/DreamWorks. They made an agreement with their former parent to distribute all of their films until they delivered twelve new films, or December 12, 2010, whichever came last.On January 31, 2006, DWA entered into a distribution agreement with Paramount Pictures, which recently acquired DWA's former parent and distribution partner, DreamWorks SKG. The agreement granted Paramount the worldwide rights to distribute all animated films, including all of their previously released animated films, until the delivery of 13 new animated feature films or the expiration date of December 31, 2012, whichever came last.WEB,weblink Annual Report 2010, dreamworksanimation.com, DreamwWorks Animation SKG, February 24, 2011, July 3, 2011,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20110928232652weblink">weblink September 28, 2011, dead, Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit was the last film distributed by its former distribution arm and Over the Hedge was the first film distributed by Paramount in May 2006.DWA's partnership with Aardman ended after the release of Flushed Away in November 2006, having delivered three out of five films. The announcement was made before the film's release, on October 3, citing "creative differences".NEWS, Laura M., Holson,weblink Is Th-Th-That All, Folks?, The New York Times, October 3, 2006, November 17, 2010, December 1, 2017,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20171201040106weblink">weblink live, DWA retained the co-ownership of rights to all films co-produced with Aardman, with an exception being Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit (2005), for which they only kept the worldwide distribution rights.On March 13, 2007, DreamWorks Animation announced it would release all of its films, beginning with Monsters vs. Aliens (2009), in stereoscopic 3D.PRESS RELEASE, DreamWorks Animation Goes 3D, ir.dreamworksanimation.com, DreamWorks Animation SKG, Inc., March 13, 2007,weblinkweblink" title="archive.today/20110818161758weblink">weblink dead, August 18, 2011, November 6, 2010, Together with Intel, they co-developed a new 3D film-making technology, InTru3D.PRESS RELEASE, INTEL, DreamWorks Animation Form Strategic Alliance to Revolutionize 3-D Filmmaking Technology, DreamWorks Animation SKG, Inc., July 8, 2008,weblink ir.dreamworksanimation.com,weblink" title="archive.today/20110818161915weblink">weblink dead, August 18, 2011, November 6, 2010, (File:DreamWorks Animation SKG logo.svg|left|thumb|Print logo without the mascot used from 2007–2018)In 2008, DWA extended its production pipeline into Bangalore, India, where they established a special unit within Technicolor, named DreamWorks Dedicated Unit. The unit is owned by Technicolor, but DreamWorks hires and trains the animators, who then contribute to DreamWorks projects. DDU at first worked only on TV specials, such as Merry Madagascar (2009), Scared Shrekless (2010), and DVD projects.WEB, Opportunities in India to work on Dreamworks Featured Projects,weblinkasia2011/exhibitor-tech-talk-detail?id=133, Siggraph, December 13, 2011, December 16, 2011, https:archive.today/20120913090124weblink September 13, 2012, dead, mdy-all, Eventually they started contributing to DreamWorks' feature films as well, beginning with animating part of Puss in Boots (2011).NEWS, 'Puss in Boots' showcases work by India animators for DreamWorks,weblink November 1, 2011, Los Angeles Times, Richard, Verrier, October 29, 2011, October 30, 2011,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20111030091507weblink">weblink live, In 2009, the company moved its shares to the NASDAQ as a move designed to save costs.WEB,weblink DreamWorks Goes to NASDAQ; Allen's Cashed Out, Animation Magazine, 17 February 2009, 14 December 2023, Tom, McLean, Since 2009, the studio has been regularly listed in Fortune Magazine's "100 Best Companies to Work For". As the only entertainment company on the list, they ranked 47th in 2009, 6th in 2010, 10th in 2011, 14th in 2012, and 12th in 2013.WEB, Fortune,weblink 100 Best Companies to Work For 2009, money.cnn.com, Fortune (magazine), Fortune, February 2, 2009, October 30, 2010, October 24, 2010,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20101024052905weblink">weblink live, WEB, Fortune,weblink 100 Best Companies to Work For 2010, money.cnn.com, Fortune (magazine), Fortune, February 8, 2010, October 30, 2010, November 12, 2010,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20101112001226weblink">weblink live, WEB, Fortune,weblink 100 Best Companies to Work For 2011, money.cnn.com, Fortune (magazine), Fortune, February 7, 2011, July 2, 2011, June 23, 2011,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20110623235154weblink">weblink live, NEWS, Best Companies to Work for 2012,weblink January 19, 2012, Fortune (magazine), Fortune, January 19, 2012, January 22, 2012,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20120122010154weblink">weblink live, NEWS, DreamWorks Animation - Best Companies to Work For 2013,weblink January 19, 2013, money.cnn.com, Fortune (magazine), Fortune, January 17, 2013, January 22, 2013,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20130122054031weblink">weblink live, Beginning in 2010, the studio had planned to release five feature films over the course of every two years, but the next year the studio revisited their plans, "but beyond 2012, Katzenberg said the studio will play it by year, even if that means abandoning his proclamation that DWA would try to release three pictures in a single year, every other year."PRESS RELEASE, DreamWorks Animation Announces Plans to Release Five Feature Films Every Two Years, ir.dreamworksanimation.com, DreamWorks Animation SKG, Inc., May 28, 2009,weblinkweblink" title="archive.today/20110818161825weblink">weblink dead, August 18, 2011, October 30, 2010, NEWS, Bond, Paul,weblink DreamWorks Animation Retreats on Film Output Plan, The Hollywood Reporter, February 24, 2011, February 25, 2011, February 28, 2011,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20110228034908weblink">weblink live, In 2010, with the releases of How to Train Your Dragon, Shrek Forever After, and Megamind, DWA became the first animation studio that released three feature-length CG-animated films in a year.PRESS RELEASE, DreamWorks Animation Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2010 Financial Results,weblink November 8, 2013, PR Newswire, February 24, 2011, DreamWorks Animation, October 15, 2014,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20141015162213weblink">weblink live, The same year, the company purchased the film rights to the Trolls franchise.NEWS, Graser, Marc,weblink Troll Dolls in DreamWorks' Toy Chest, Variety (magazine), Variety, April 11, 2013, August 5, 2013, May 16, 2013,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20130516040131weblink">weblink live,

Diversification and expansion (2012–2015)

In July 2012, DreamWorks Animation won a $155 million bid to acquire Classic Media, which has since been renamed to DreamWorks Classics.NEWS, Lieberman, David, DreamWorks Animation Agrees To Pay $155M For Classic Media,weblink July 24, 2012, Deadline, July 23, 2012, July 24, 2012,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20120724184416weblink">weblink live, NEWS, Venkatesan, Adithya, DreamWorks to buy Classic Media for $155 million: WSJ,weblink August 13, 2012, Reuters, July 23, 2012, September 22, 2017,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20170922100509weblink">weblink live, In August 2012, DreamWorks Animation formed a joint venture with Chinese investment companies to establish a Shanghai-based entertainment company, named Oriental DreamWorks, to develop and produce original Chinese films and their derivatives.NEWS, Oriental DreamWorks Rewrites Its China Production Strategy,weblink November 14, 2013, Variety, Patrick, Frater, September 6, 2013, November 14, 2013,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20131114195031weblink">weblink live, According to a Los Angeles Times report, DreamWorks Animation was in talks with Sony Pictures to distribute its upcoming films, such as the 2013 releases of The Croods and Turbo. The report also mentioned a possibility where Sony would handle United States distribution while 20th Century Studios would handle international distribution. Renewal of the deal with Paramount was also open, but only with more favorable terms for Paramount (they even offered a one-year extension of the deal, but Katzenberg desired to get a better deal).NEWS, Horn, John, Fritz, Ben, DreamWorks Animation could be headed to Sony,weblink July 18, 2012, Los Angeles Times, July 13, 2012, July 17, 2012,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20120717005424weblink">weblink live, NEWS, Finke, Nikki, Paramount Expects DreamWorks Toon Exit; Studio Starts Paramount Animation Unit; Jeff Katzenberg Zeroing In Time Warner,weblink July 25, 2017, Deadline, July 6, 2011, September 22, 2017,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20170922100025weblink">weblink live, Around the same time, DreamWorks Animation entered talks with Warner Bros. for a potential distribution deal as well, only to be turned down by the studio.NEWS, Fritz, Ben, Warner Bros. uninterested in DreamWorks Animation deal,weblink February 21, 2020, Los Angeles Times, July 29, 2011, February 21, 2020,weblink live, In August 2012, DreamWorks Animation signed a five-year distribution deal with 20th Century Studios for all territories.NEWS, Finke, Nikki, EXCLUSIVE: DreamWorks Animation To Fox For New 5-Year Distribution Deal; Paying Fees Of 8% Theatrical And 6% Digital,weblink August 20, 2012, Deadline.com, August 20, 2012, August 22, 2012,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20120822012707weblink">weblink live, However, the deal did not include the distribution rights of previously released films, which DWA acquired from Paramount later in 2014.NEWS, Chney, Alexandra, DreamWorks Animation Q2 Earnings Fall Short of Estimates, SEC Investigation Revealed,weblink July 30, 2014, Variety, July 29, 2014, June 23, 2018,weblink live, Rise of the Guardians (2012) was the last DreamWorks Animation film to be distributed by Paramount, and The Croods became the first DreamWorks Animation film to be distributed by 20th Century Studios.On April 11, 2013, DreamWorks Animation announced that it has acquired the intellectual property for the Trolls franchise from the Dam Family and Dam Things. DreamWorks Animation, which has "big plans for the franchise", has become the exclusive worldwide licensor of the merchandise rights, except for Scandinavia, where Dam Things remains the licensor. On May 1, Katzenberg and DWA announced their intent to purchase YouTube channel AwesomenessTV, which was finalized later in the month.Lieberman, David. (May 1, 2013). DreamWorks Animation Agrees To Pay $33M+ For AwesomenessTV {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140723155825weblink |date=July 23, 2014 }}. Deadline Hollywood.The following month, DWA announced a multi-year content deal to provide 300 hours of exclusive original content to the video on demand Internet streaming media provider, Netflix.NEWS, Szalai, George, Netflix to Air New DreamWorks Animation Shows,weblink October 12, 2014, The Hollywood Reporter, June 17, 2013, October 25, 2014,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20141025110613weblink">weblink live, Part of the intent of the deal was in part to establish a more reliable income for DWA to defray the financial risk of solely relying on the theatrical film market.WEB,weblink » Netflix Secures Deal With DreamWorks For New Shows (NASDAQ:NFLX), Zolmax, June 28, 2013, July 8, 2013, July 3, 2013,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20130703072015weblink">weblink live, The next day, DWA completed a five-year licensing agreement with Super RTL to start that September for the Classic Media library and the Netflix slate.NEWS, Spangler, Todd, DreamWorks Animation Sees $100m Revenue This Year From Netflix, Other TV Deals,weblink October 12, 2014, Variety, June 18, 2013, December 19, 2014,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20141219135542weblink">weblink live, With the Netflix and Super RTL deals in place for TV, DWA announced executive hiring for its new television group, DreamWorks Animation Television in late July. Former Nickelodeon senior executive Margie Cohn became Head of Television for the group.NEWS, Graser, Marc, Nickelodeon Vet Marjorie Cohn to Run DreamWorks Animation Television,weblink August 5, 2013, Variety (magazine), Variety, July 31, 2013, August 3, 2013,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20130803162608weblink">weblink live, In September that same year, DreamWorks announced that it has acquired the TV library of London-based Chapman Entertainment with the programs to distributed through DWA's UK-based TV distribution operation.NEWS, Vivarelli, Nick, DreamWorks Animation Buys Chapman Entertainment Library,weblink November 14, 2013, Variety (magazine), Variety, September 18, 2013, November 24, 2013,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20131124050141weblink">weblink live, The next year, in February, DreamWorks announced the foundation of a new publishing division called DreamWorks Press, to publish books in print and digital form.NEWS, Trachtenberg, Jeffrey A.,weblink DreamWorks Animation Creates Children's Books Imprint, Wall Street Journal, February 10, 2014, February 10, 2014, April 13, 2015,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20150413033722weblink">weblink live, In June, the rights to Felix the Cat were acquired by DreamWorks Animation from Felix the Cat Productions, owned by Don Oriolo.WEB,weblink DreamWorks Animation Buys Felix the Cat, McNary, Dave, June 17, 2014, Variety (magazine), Variety, June 17, 2014, June 28, 2018,weblink live, The same month, DreamWorksTV channel debuted on YouTube and operated by AwesomenessTV.NEWS, Verrier, Richard, Chang, Andrea, DreamWorks Animation launches family-oriented YouTube channel,weblink June 18, 2014, Los Angeles Times, June 17, 2014, June 17, 2014,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20140617233712weblink">weblink live, DreamWorks Animation then purchased Paramount's distribution rights to the pre-2013 library in July, and since then, DreamWorks Animation's then-distribution partner 20th Century Fox has distributed the library on their behalf until 2018, in which DreamWorks Animation's parent company Universal Pictures has assumed these responsibilities.The studio was reported to be acquired twice in the end of 2014. First, it was reported in September that the Japanese conglomerate SoftBank was in talks to acquire DreamWorks Animation for a price of $3.4 billion, but the next day, it was reported that SoftBank had withdrawn its offer.NEWS, Krolicki, Kevin, Bansal, Paritosh, Japan's SoftBank in talks to buy DreamWorks: source,weblink November 15, 2014, Reuters.com, Thomson Reuters, September 28, 2014, March 11, 2016,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20160311014334weblink">weblink live, WEB, Schwartzel, Erich, Mattioli, Dana,weblink SoftBank, DreamWorks Animation Talks Cool, September 29, 2014, November 15, 2014, The Wall Street Journal, December 30, 2014,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20141230233858weblink">weblink live, Next on November 12, it was reported that Hasbro was in talks to buy DreamWorks Animation in November. The proposal reportedly calls for the combined company to take the name "DreamWorks-Hasbro" and for Jeffrey Katzenberg to become its chairman, but as a matter of policy, neither Hasbro nor DWA publicly comment on mergers and acquisitions.NEWS, Lieberman, David, Patten, Dominic, DreamWorks Animation & Hasbro In Merger Talks; Deal With Hearst Looming,weblink November 15, 2014, Deadline Hollywood, Penske Business Media, November 12, 2014, November 15, 2014,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20141115075936weblink">weblink live, Two days later, the talks were reported to have fallen through.NEWS, de la Merced, Michael J., Barnes, Brooks, Hasbro Said to End Talks to Take Over DreamWorks Animation,weblink November 15, 2014, The New York Times, November 14, 2014, November 15, 2014,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20141115103415weblink">weblink live, DreamWorks Animation announced their launch into the television broadcasting business on December 9, 2014, by creating their own channel called the DreamWorks Channel. With HBO Asia handling affiliate sales, marketing and technical services, the network launched in several Asian countries (except China and Japan) in the second half of 2015.NEWS, Bond, Paul, DreamWorks Animation to Launch TV Channel in Asia,weblink December 10, 2014, The Hollywood Reporter, December 9, 2014, June 29, 2018,weblink live, The channel first premiered in English on August 1, 2015, and a Thai-dubbed channel launched in September 2015.NEWS, DreamWorks to launch first dedicated channel in Thailand, David, Blecken,weblink August 3, 2015, Campaign, July 29, 2015, August 13, 2015,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20150813204355weblink">weblink live, Also in December, DWA sold a 25% stake in AwesomenessTV for $81.25 million to the Hearst Corporation.NEWS, Verrier, Richard, Hearst Corp. buys 25% stake in AwesomenessTV,weblink December 16, 2014, Los Angeles Times, December 11, 2014, December 16, 2014,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20141216062614weblink">weblink live, On January 5, 2015, DreamWorks Animation announced that Bonnie Arnold, producer of the How to Train Your Dragon series and Mireille Soria, producer of the Madagascar series were named co-presidents of the studio's feature animation division. At the same time, it was also announced that Bill Damaschke would step down from his position as Chief Creative Officer. So far, under Arnold and Soria's current tenure they signed Jason Reitman and Edgar Wright to work on their own animation debuts.WEB,weblink Jason Reitman Takes On 'Beekle' Book Adaptation For DreamWorks Animation, Dominic, Patten, Deadline Hollywood, May 27, 2015, February 19, 2020, December 14, 2018,weblink live, WEB,weblink Edgar Wright to Direct DreamWorks Animation's Movie on Shadows, November 19, 2015, ComingSoon.net, February 19, 2020, February 11, 2020,weblink live, Two weeks later, PDI/DreamWorks completely shut down as part of its parent company's larger restructuring efforts due to the box office underperformance of Penguins of Madagascar (2014), cutting 500 jobs.NEWS, BREAKING: DreamWorks Will Shut Down PDI/DreamWorks Studio; 500 Jobs Will Be Eliminated,weblink Cartoon Brew, January 22, 2015, Amid, Amidi, June 29, 2020, July 30, 2020,weblink live,

Universal Pictures acquisition (2016–present)

On April 28, 2016, Comcast officially announced that its NBCUniversal division intended on acquiring DreamWorks Animation for $3.8 billion, valuing the company at $41 per share.NEWS, COMCAST CONFIRMS IT WILL BUY DREAMWORKS ANIMATION,weblink Film Industry Network, April 28, 2016, June 30, 2019, March 3, 2022,weblink live, Jeffrey Katzenberg was to remain involved in the company as head of DreamWorks New Media, but was to cede control of the studio to Illumination's CEO Chris Meledandri, who would oversee both.WEB, Comcast's NBCUniversal buys DreamWorks Animation in $3.8-billion deal,weblink Meg, James, April 28, 2016, Los Angeles Times, April 28, 2016, June 15, 2018,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20180615004957weblink">weblink live, The sale was approved by board members, but subject to regulatory approval.NEWS, Comcast is buying Dreamworks in a $3.8 billion acquisition, Brian, Fung, April 28, 2016,weblink Washington Post, May 1, 2016, April 29, 2016,weblink live, WEB, How A DreamWorks-Illumination Combo Beats Disney At The B.O., Anthony, D'Alessandro,weblink Deadline Hollywood, April 29, 2016, May 2, 2016, May 2, 2016,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20160502095403weblink">weblink live, At Guggenheim Partners' TMT Symposium, NBCUniversal CEO Steve Burke discussed how the purchase of DWA would fit into its business strategies. Burke explained that Meledandri planned to "take a lot of the existing DreamWorks franchises and add value as we create new franchises", and that the main goal was to "[take] the low-single-digit returns of the movie business and turn it into a different kind of business" by creating new intellectual property that can be merchandised and adapted into theme park attractions. Burke reaffirmed a commitment to animated features, stating that Universal Pictures would be able to release as many as four animated films per-year, divided between DreamWorks and Illumination. Burke also outlined that the purchase would be beneficial to Universal's expanding presence in China (where it is building a new Universal Studios park in Beijing).WEB, NBCUniversal Execs Reassure DreamWorks Animation Staffers They Are Committed to More Animated Features,weblink The Hollywood Reporter, May 4, 2016, May 5, 2016, May 5, 2016,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20160505025703weblink">weblink live, WEB, NBCU Chief Looks To Revive 'Shrek' And Sales From DreamWorks Animation Deal,weblink Deadline Hollywood, June 14, 2016, June 15, 2016, April 23, 2020,weblink live, On June 21, 2016, the acquisition was approved by the United States Department of Justice.WEB, Antitrust Officials Clear Comcast's $3.8B DreamWorks Animation Acquisition,weblink Deadline Hollywood, June 21, 2016, June 23, 2016, June 22, 2016,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20160622132756weblink">weblink live, WEB, Julia, Boorstin, NBCUniversal's Ron Meyer: Here's why we bought Dreamworks Animation,weblink CNBC, July 7, 2016, September 9, 2017, August 4, 2017,weblink live, The purchase was closed on August 22, 2016; the company now operates as a subsidiary of Universal Pictures.WEB, Comcast Completes Its $3.8B DreamWorks Animation Purchase,weblink Deadline Hollywood, August 22, 2016, August 23, 2016, August 23, 2016,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20160823100053weblink">weblink live, WEB, Comcast's NBCUniversal completes purchase of DreamWorks Animation,weblink Los Angeles Times, August 23, 2016, August 23, 2016, August 23, 2016,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20160823165212weblink">weblink live, DreamWorks Animation's last films distributed by 20th Century Fox were Trolls (2016), The Boss Baby (2017) and (Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie) (2017), and their first film distributed by Universal was (How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World) (2019).WEB, 'Croods 2' Release Delayed Amid DreamWorks Animation Sale,weblink The Hollywood Reporter, August 9, 2016, August 23, 2016, October 11, 2016,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20161011161909weblink">weblink live, Although a spokesperson stated that Meledandri would work with Universal Pictures to determine "the most effective path forward for Illumination and DreamWorks Animation", he did not take over DreamWorks as was previously announced, and the two studios remain separate. Arnold and Soria retained their positions as co-presidents of DreamWorks' Feature Animation division, while Margie Cohn would lead a television animation division for the entire Universal Studios group. DreamWorks' digital, marketing, consumer products, and gaming divisions were absorbed into NBCUniversal.NEWS, NBCUniversal Unveils New Leadership Structure at DreamWorks,weblink Wall Street Journal, August 23, 2016, August 24, 2016, Schwartzel, Erich, October 6, 2017,weblink live, WEB, August 23, 2016, Mia, Galuppo, NBCUniversal Unveils New DreamWorks Annimation Senior Management,weblink The Hollywood Reporter, September 3, 2016, August 27, 2016,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20160827094502weblink">weblink live, WEB, Chinese Government Probing Comcast's DreamWorks Acquisition,weblink Animation Magazine, September 2, 2016, September 3, 2016, September 4, 2016,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20160904160614weblink">weblink live, WEB, NBCU Drops the Axe on 200 DreamWorks Jobs,weblink Animation Magazine, September 15, 2016, September 16, 2016, September 16, 2016,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20160916132315weblink">weblink live, WEB, DreamWorks Layoffs Hit Glendale with 170 to Go,weblink Animation Magazine, December 2, 2016, December 2, 2016, December 3, 2016,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20161203011106weblink">weblink live, On December 21, 2016, Soria stepped down from her position as co-president of DreamWorks' Feature Animation division.WEB,weblink Mireille Soria Steps Down as DreamWorks Animation Co-President (EXCLUSIVE), Variety, December 21, 2016, December 22, 2016, December 22, 2016,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20161222152324weblink">weblink live, WEB,weblink DreamWorks Animation Co-President Mireille Soria Steps Down, The Wrap, December 21, 2016, December 22, 2016, December 22, 2016,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20161222045736weblink">weblink live, WEB,weblink Breaking: Mireille Soria Out As Dreamworks Animation's Co-President, Cartoon Brew, December 22, 2016, December 22, 2016, December 22, 2016,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20161222153659weblink">weblink live, In January 2017, Christopher DeFaria joined DreamWorks Animation in the newly created position of president of the DreamWorks Feature Animation Group.NEWS,weblink DreamWorks Animation Finds New Chief in Warner Bros. Veteran (Exclusive), The Hollywood Reporter, January 12, 2017, January 12, 2017,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20170112012812weblink">weblink live, As president, DeFaria oversaw all aspects of DWA's feature animation business, including slate strategy, development, production; innovation and technology; and business affairs.NEWS,weblink DreamWorks acquisition boosts Comcast's Q4 results, Kidscreen, January 27, 2017, January 27, 2017,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20170127092129weblink">weblink live, On August 1, 2017, it was announced that DreamWorks Animation and Blumhouse Productions would be working on Blumhouse's first animated film, Spooky Jack.WEB,weblink DreamWorks Animation, Blumhouse Team For Animated Pic 'Spooky Jack', Fleming, Mike Jr., August 1, 2017, Deadline, February 19, 2020, August 2, 2017,weblink live, The film was initially set to be released on September 17, 2021, but was removed from the release schedule as The Bad Guys (2022) took over its release date.WEB,weblink Blumhouse Animated Film 'Spooky Jack' Gets Distant Release Date - Bloody Disgusting, bloody-disgusting.com, September 19, 2017, February 19, 2020, September 19, 2017,weblink live, WEB, D'Alessandro, Anthony, October 7, 2019, DreamWorks Animation & Universal To Release 'Spirit Riding Free' & 'The Bad Guys' In 2021,weblink June 26, 2021, Deadline, en-US, December 5, 2019,weblink live, On October 6, 2017, it was announced that Abhijay Prakash would be COO of DWA.WEB,weblink Focus Features Chief Abhijay Prakash Will Join DreamWorks Animation As COO, Anthony, D'Alessandro, October 6, 2017, Deadline, February 19, 2020, February 2, 2020,weblink live, He was later promoted to president of the Universal Filmed Entertainment Group in February 2019 following the release of How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World, and DreamWorks Animation subsequently hired former Sony Pictures Imageworks head Randy Lake as the new chief operating officer of the company three months later.NEWS, Hipes, Patrick, Universal Solidifies Film Execs Under New Chairman Donna Langley,weblink July 10, 2019, Deadline Hollywood, January 31, 2019, en, July 11, 2019,weblink live, NEWS, Vlessing, Etan, Randy Lake Named COO of DreamWorks Animation,weblink May 15, 2019, The Hollywood Reporter, May 15, 2019, en, May 15, 2019,weblink live, On November 13, 2017, it was announced that DreamWorks Animation had started a shorts program, called DreamWorks Shorts, which would show original animated short films before DWA's feature films, much akin to what Pixar and Walt Disney Animation Studios do for their feature films. The first short film to be produced under the program was Bird Karma, which premiered in Spring 2018.WEB,weblink DreamWorks Animation Launches Shorts Program With 'Bird Karma', Variety, Horst, Carole, November 13, 2017, November 15, 2017, November 14, 2017,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20171114020658weblink">weblink live, On February 2, 2018, CMC Capital Partners bought DreamWorks', Shanghai Media Group's, and Shanghai Alliance Investment's stakes in Oriental DreamWorks, owning the studio in its entirety; Oriental DreamWorks was later renamed to Pearl Studio. Pearl Studio collaborated with DreamWorks to produce Abominable (2019), with the film's original director, Jill Culton, returning.WEB,weblink Oriental Dreamworks Relaunches As 100% Chinese-Owned Pearl Studio, Amidi, Amid, Cartoon Brew, February 2, 2018, February 2, 2018, February 3, 2018,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20180203000222weblink">weblink live, On February 27, 2018, DreamWorks Animation announced that Kelly Betz has been promoted as Chief Financial Officer.WEB,weblink DWA Elevates Kelly Betz To CFO, Patrick, Hipes, February 27, 2018, Deadline, February 19, 2020, February 20, 2020,weblink live, On May 2, 2018, Hulu announced its first license deal with DreamWorks Animation, becoming the exclusive streaming home for future DWA feature films, as well as library films. DWA had streamed exclusively through Netflix since 2013.NEWS, Gruenwedel, Erik, Hulu Tops 20 Million Subs, Inks First Deal with DreamWorks Animation,weblink May 2, 2018, Media Play News, May 2, 2018, May 3, 2018,weblink live, On July 25, 2018, Viacom Media Networks announced that it was in talks to acquire AwesomenessTV for a fraction of the company's $650 million valuation in 2016.NEWS, Spangler, Todd, Viacom in Talks to Buy AwesomenessTV,weblink July 27, 2018, Variety, July 25, 2018, July 26, 2018,weblink live, NEWS, Hayes, Dade, Viacom In Talks To Acquire AwesomenessTV At Attractive Discount,weblink July 27, 2018, Deadline, July 25, 2018, July 28, 2018,weblink live, Two days later on July 27, 2018, Viacom officially acquired AwesomenessTV for $25–50 million and integrated the company into Viacom Digital Studios. Jordan Levin left his position as CEO following the acquisition.NEWS, Spangler, Todd, Viacom Acquires AwesomenessTV; CEO Jordan Levin to Depart,weblink July 27, 2018, Variety, July 27, 2018, July 27, 2018,weblink live, NEWS, Chmielewski, Dawn, Viacom Acquires AwesomenessTV; CEO Jordan Levin To Depart,weblink July 27, 2018, Deadline, July 27, 2018, July 27, 2018,weblink live, However, the deal does not include the DreamWorksTV YouTube channel, which is still retained by NBCUniversal, where it was integrated into NBCU Digital Enterprises Group, a new digital entertainment division led by President Maggie Suniewick.WEB,weblink Viacom's AwesomenessTV Deal Worth More Than $50 Million: Sources, July 30, 2018, August 10, 2018, August 19, 2018,weblink live, On July 30, 2018, Variety reported that the deal is worth at least $50 million.WEB, Spangler, Todd, Viacom's AwesomenessTV Deal Worth More Than $50 Million: Sources,weblink Variety, July 30, 2018, July 30, 2018, August 19, 2018,weblink live, On November 6, 2018, it was announced that Meledandri would be helping Universal and DreamWorks to revive the Shrek franchise.NEWS,weblink 'Shrek,' 'Puss in Boots' Getting Rebooted (EXCLUSIVE), Lang, Brett, November 6, 2018, Variety, November 6, 2018, November 6, 2018,weblink live, NEWS, Lang, Brent, How Chris Meledandri Became the Most Powerful Man in Animation,weblink Variety, November 6, 2018, November 6, 2018, November 8, 2018,weblink live, WEB,weblink In Dismal Summer, 'Despicable Me 3' Producer Delivers $1 Billion, Palmeri, Christopher, Sakoui, Anousha, Bloomberg Businessweek, September 12, 2017, January 29, 2018, September 29, 2017,weblink live, Meledandri intends, however, to retain the original voice actors, as he pointed out they were perhaps the most memorable parts of the series. The first film in this collaboration, (Puss in Boots: The Last Wish), on which Meledandri served as executive producer, was released in December 2022 to universal acclaim and commercial success.{{cn|date=February 2024}}On January 9, 2019, DeFaria stepped down from his position as president of the company, with DreamWorks Animation Television head Margie Cohn promoted to oversee all film and television operations.NEWS, D'Alessandro, Anthony, Chris deFaria Exiting DreamWorks Animation As President; DWA TV Boss Margie Cohn Takes Over,weblink January 9, 2019, Deadline Hollywood, January 9, 2019, en, January 10, 2019,weblink live, On January 16, 2020, five new DreamWorks Animation shows were announced for Hulu and NBCUniversal's new video streaming service Peacock.WEB, Pedersen, Erik, Peacock Programming: List Of NBCUniversal Streaming Service's Series, Films, Sports, News & More,weblink Deadline Hollywood, January 16, 2020, January 17, 2020,weblink January 17, 2020, live, On August 5, 2022, DreamWorks announced plans to release their rendering software MoonRay as an open-source software in late 2022.NEWS, Sarto, Dan, DreamWorks Animation to Release MoonRay as Open Source,weblink November 28, 2022, Animation World Network, August 5, 2022, NEWS, Lang, Jamie, Dreamworks' Moonray Rendering Software Is Going Open Source,weblink November 28, 2022, Cartoon Brew, August 5, 2022, NEWS, Milligan, Mercedes, DreamWorks Animation to Release MoonRay Renderer as Open Source Software,weblink November 28, 2022, Animation Magazine, August 5, 2022, It was released on March 15, 2023.NEWS, DreamWorks Animation Announces the Release of MoonRay as Open Source Software,weblink 10 January 2024, March 15, 2023, On October 6, 2023, Cartoon Brew reported that DreamWorks Animation was moving away from producing films in-house at their Glendale campus to rely more heavily on outside studios after 2024, as part of a layoff by chief operating officer Randy Lake in a series of meetings the previous month. Low morale was cited. According to the report, Sony Pictures Imageworks was named as the animation service for one of DreamWorks' two unannounced films scheduled for 2025, the film being a sequel. The film will use a "mixed production model", in which pre-production would be done in-house at DreamWorks along with approximately 50% of the asset build and one hour of production, while Imageworks will handle the other 50% of asset builds and 20 minutes of shot production.WEB, Amidi, Amid, Dreamworks Shifting Away From In-House Production In Los Angeles; Sony Imageworks Is A New Production Partner,weblink Cartoon Brew, 8 October 2023, 6 October 2023,

Logo

DreamWorks Animation is known for its logo, which is a boy fishing on the moon. The logo originated from DreamWorks Pictures, debuting in 1997. It was later used as the standard logo for DreamWorks Animation from Antz (1998) to (Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas) (2003).In 2004, DreamWorks unveiled its own logo, in which the boy flies up to the moon via balloons. It originally had music adapted from the track "Fairytale" for the film Shrek (2001), the logo was composed by Harry Gregson-Williams, one of the co-composers of Shrek and the composer of the whole Shrek franchise as well as other DreamWorks films. The logo was used from Shrek 2 (2004) to Monsters vs. Aliens (2009).In 2010, DreamWorks unveiled a new logo, this time with the boy fishing on the moon in space. An updated version of the fanfare accompanied this logo, and the logo would be used from How to Train Your Dragon (2010) to (Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie) (2017).Two years after its acquisition by Universal Pictures in 2016, a new DreamWorks Animation logo was introduced. It is said that it pays homage to the evolution of animation.WEB, DreamWorks Animation,weblink CLG Wiki, November 8, 2021, November 7, 2021,weblink live, It received a new fanfare composed by John Powell, the other composer of the first Shrek and other DreamWorks films, adapting some cues from Shrek 2 and tones from John Williams' DreamWorks Pictures fanfare to create the music for the logo. The logo debuted on the first trailer of (How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World) in 2018,WEB, How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World Trailer #1 (2019),weblink YouTube, Movieclips Trailers, November 8, 2021, November 8, 2021,weblink live, but the full animated version and the new fanfare debuted on February 22, 2019, with the release of the film, for which Powell also composed the score.On November 25, 2022, a new logo was announced. The boy on the moon was redubbed as the Moon Child to relate to anyone. The logo showcases the Moon Child flying on the crescent moon, interacting with several DreamWorks characters before settling on the moon. It features characters from The Bad Guys (2022), How to Train Your Dragon, Kung Fu Panda, The Boss Baby, Trolls, and Shrek, and a rearranged score by Harry Gregson-Williams, finally returning after making the fanfare for the 2010 logo, with elements of the previous fanfare by John Powell. The logo was created by production designer Kendal Cronkhite (the Trolls films), Suzanne Buirgy (Home (2015) and Abominable (2019)) and a team of 10–40 people, taking eight months to complete. The characters that appear in the logo also have different designs to better fit in the continuity. It made its debut on November 22, 2022, as an unlisted video on DreamWorks' YouTube channelWEB, DreamWorks Animation New Theatrical Opener (2022), YouTube,weblink November 28, 2022, and made its on-screen debut in (Puss in Boots: The Last Wish).NEWS, White, Abbey, DreamWorks Animation Unveils New Curtain Raiser, Introduces Reimagined "Moon Child" (Exclusive),weblink November 25, 2022, The Hollywood Reporter, November 25, 2022, NEWS, Grobar, Matt, DreamWorks Animation Debuts New Animated Logo Sequence – Watch,weblink November 25, 2022, Deadline Hollywood, November 25, 2022, Character appearance in the logo started to change with the release of Trolls Band Together (2023), with the Kung Fu Panda, The Boss Baby, and Trolls franchises being replaced with the Madagascar and The Croods franchises and Puss in Boots (2011) and its sequel.

Process

Many of DreamWorks Animation's films are animated internally at their Glendale campus, but some of their films were animated by Pacific Data Images, a subsidiary of DreamWorks, until its closure in 2015, in a similar fashion to Illumination, which has its films animated by Illumination Studios Paris. Films include Shrek and its two sequels, the Madagascar film series, and Megamind. Puss in Boots and Penguins of Madagascar were partially animated at its Bangalore campus called DreamWorks Dedicated Unit (DDU).Additionally, DreamWorks occasionally outsources its animation production to other studios. For example, (Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie) was animated by Mikros Image alongside Technicolor Animation Productions and Spirit Untamed, and production assets for (The Boss Baby: Family Business), The Bad Guys and Kung Fu Panda 4 were provided by Jellyfish Pictures, which also did the marketing custom animation for Trolls World Tour alongside Minimo VFX, which provided rigging for Spirit Untamed. It is currently unknown what outside animation studio(s) will animate Dog Man or The Bad Guys 2.Since 2018, DreamWorks has used their in-house render MoonRay, which was first used on the short film Bilby and animation system Premo for their films.Most of DreamWorks' films tend to cost between $125–165 million, but Monsters vs. Aliens is the studio's most expensive film to date, with a budget of $175 million. After the release of (How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World), DreamWorks films started to have much lower costs in the $65–100 million range, similar to its sister studio, Illumination. Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie and Spirit Untamed, cost $38 million and $30 million respectively.DreamWorks does not have a house style. In an interview with Animation Magazine in 2012, Bill Damaschke stated that the studio doesn't stick to one specific film tone and that it's about leaning into the sensibilities of the filmmakers who work on their films, citing (Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted) and Rise of the Guardians contrasting each other.NEWS, Zahed, Ramin, A Conversation with Bill Damaschke, CCO of DreamWorks,weblink 28 March 2024, Animation Magazine, April 2, 2012, Margie Cohn reaffirmed not having a house style in 2022, stating that the studio can release a film that looks like The Bad Guys, (Puss in Boots: The Last Wish), or Trolls.

Partnerships

DreamWorks Animation has an ongoing partnership with Hewlett-Packard that has been active since 2002,NEWS, Godfrey, Leigh, HP, DreamWorks Announce Strategic Alliance,weblink February 22, 2019, Animation World Network, February 6, 2002, en, February 23, 2019,weblink live, and the studio exclusively uses HP workstations and servers. In 2005, DWA partnered with HP to introduce HP Halo Telepresence Solutions, technologies that allow people in different locations to communicate in a face-to-face environment in real time.WEB, Hewlett-Packard,weblink HP Unveils Halo Collaboration Studios: Life-like Communication Leaps Across Geographic Boundaries, hp.com, Hewlett-Packard, December 5, 2005,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20051215101819weblink">weblink December 15, 2005, October 30, 2010, In 2005, AMD signed a three-year deal to provide Opteron processors to the studio. This relationship ended in 2008, and DreamWorks announced that they would use Intel Xeon processors for all future productions.WEB, Bloomberg News,weblink Intel to replace AMD as DreamWorks supplier, Los Angeles Times, July 9, 2008, October 30, 2010, June 29, 2020,weblink live, The same year, both companies announced a technology called InTru3D that allows DreamWorks to produce all of their future films in 3D, beginning with Monsters vs. Aliens.MAGAZINE, Schiffman, Betsy, DreamWorks, Intel Partner Up on 3-D Films,weblink March 30, 2019, Wired (magazine), Wired, July 8, 2008, August 15, 2020,weblink live, DreamWorks also has a partnership with NetApp in order to supply cloud-based storage that allows the company to complete its films.NEWS, Castellanos, Sara, DreamWorks Looks to Reanimate Business With Advanced Analytics,weblink February 22, 2019, The Wall Street Journal, August 8, 2018, February 23, 2019,weblink live,

Parks and experiences

{{See also|DreamWorks Animation in amusement parks}}

The DreamWorks Experience: Royal Caribbean Cruiseline

{{Further|DreamWorks Experience}}The DreamWorks Experience is a package of character interactions and experiences, including shows: Ice shows, Aqua shows, Sailaway parties, parades, wow moments, meet and greets, and character dining, featuring from the Shrek franchise: Shrek, Princess Fiona, Puss in Boots, and Kitty Softpaws, the Kung Fu Panda franchise: Po the Panda, Tigress the Tiger, the Madagascar franchise: Alex the Lion, Gloria the Hippo, King Julien the Ringtail Lemur, Mort the goodman Lemur, (List of Madagascar characters#The Penguins|The Penguins: Skipper, Kowalski, Rico, Private), the How To Train Your Dragon franchise: Toothless, Meatlug, Stoick, Valka, Gobber, and other DreamWorks Animation characters.The DreamWorks Experience was announced for Royal Caribbean cruise ships, including ships of the Freedom Class (Freedom and Liberty), Voyager Class (Voyager of the Seas), Oasis Class (Oasis, Allure, Harmony), and Quantum Class (Quantum, Anthem, Ovation) in June 2010.PRESS RELEASE, From the big screen to the high seas: Royal Caribbean and DreamWorks Animation unveil an unprecedented strategic alliance, royalcaribbeanpresscenter.com, Royal Caribbean International, June 4, 2010,weblink October 30, 2010, July 15, 2011,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20110715204938weblink">weblink live, On April 11, 2019, the DreamWorks program was removed from all ships due to DreamWorks and Royal Caribbean not renewing their contract.NEWS, Stieghorst, Tom, Goodbye, Shrek: Royal Caribbean parts ways with DreamWorks: Travel Weekly,weblink April 20, 2019, Travel Weekly, December 10, 2018, en, April 20, 2019,weblink live,

The DreamWorks Experience: Gaylord Hotels (2011–2015)

{{Further|DreamWorks Experience}}In April 2011, the DreamWorks Experience was announced for resorts owned by Gaylord Entertainment in Nashville, Orlando, Dallas, and Washington, D.C. for a four-year contract ending January 1, 2015. After Gaylord was bought out by Marriott, Marriott owners did not renew the contract.NEWS, De Lollis, Barbara, Gaylord Hotels, DreamWorks: 'We're competing with Disney',weblink March 16, 2013, USA Today, April 29, 2011, July 9, 2012,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20120709054550weblink">weblink live,

The DreamWorks Experience: Dreamworld in Australia (2011–2022)

{{Further|DreamWorks Experience}}On November 10, 2011, the Australian theme park Dreamworld announced a three-stage plan to incorporate DreamWorks Animation films and characters into the park. The three phases were expected to cost $10 million to complete.NEWS, Scott, Tessa, DreamWorks at Dreamworld, Nine Gold Coast News, 10 November 2011, On December 19, 2011, Dreamworld opened the DreamWorks Holiday Shrektacular Show which featured 8 DreamWorks Animation characters live on stage. This was the first of a three-phase plan to incorporate the characters into the theme park. The show concluded on January 27, 2012.WEB, Dreamworld's Holiday Shrektacular Show,weblink Video, YouTube, 31 March 2012, Dreamworld, 5 December 2011, On February 1, 2012, following the peak season, Dreamworld closed most of the rides in Kid's World.WEB, Maintenance,weblink Dreamworld, 12 February 2012,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20120229130755weblink">weblink 29 February 2012, 1 February 2012, dead, The {{Convert|8400|sqm|adj=on}} area was rethemed into the DreamWorks Experience precinct over a period of two months. This phase was officially opened to the public on March 31, 2012.WEB, Dreamworld Unveils Spectacular End of 2011: New World-Class Entertainment Alliance with DreamWorks Animation,weblink Press Release, Dreamworld, 10 November 2011, 10 November 2011, dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20120522113806weblink">weblink 22 May 2012, On July 15, 2012, Dreamworld closed the Avalanche in order for construction to continue on the final development phase of the DreamWorks Animation alliance, Kung Fu Panda: Land of Awesomeness.In-park signage The new area included a new set of bumper cars, Skadoosh, as well as Dreamworld's eighth thrill ride, Pandamonium, and the Kung Fu Academy.WEB, Dreamworld To Open New DreamWorks Animation Precinct,weblink Press Release, Dreamworld, 31 March 2012, February 2012, dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20121115014028weblink">weblink 15 November 2012, On November 24, 2022, Dreamworld announced a $55m investment to the park, which included Kenny and Belinda's Dreamland, a new themed area to replace the existing DreamWorks Experience area in 2023. Most of the rides remained in the new rethemed area, while the attractions based on Kung Fu Panda were moved to Ocean Parade.WEB, Mitchell, Bea, Australia's Dreamworld theme park to open new land and coaster,weblink blooloop, 7 July 2023, 25 November 2022, WEB, Whitworth, David, Dreamworld Invests a Total of a 50 Million A$ by 2024,weblink InterPark, 7 July 2023, 1 December 2022,

DreamPlay by DreamWorks: City of Dreams Manila

The world's first indoor interactive play and creativity center theme park located within City of Dreams Manila opened on June 12, 2015.NEWS,weblink DreamPlay, Dreamworks-themed activity center at City of Dreams Manila, June 13, 2015, Rappler, March 25, 2019, March 25, 2019,weblink live,

DreamWorks Water Park

On July 11, 2012, then CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg announced it would build the DreamWorks Water Park, an indoor water park at American Dream in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The park would have attractions from Shrek, Madagascar, Kung Fu Panda and How To Train Your Dragon franchises.WEB,weblink "Shrek" Theme Park Planned at Stalled NJ Mall, NBC New York, July 11, 2012, en, September 23, 2019, June 29, 2020,weblink live, Triple Five Group stated in June 2018 that the water park would open in the end of 2019.WEB,weblink American Dream: The 16-year (and counting) journey of a mega-mall that might actually open kind of soon, Pries, Allison, June 19, 2018, nj, en, November 23, 2019, August 17, 2019,weblink live, By November 2018, the mall's vice president of Communications announced that the water park would open in September 2019.NEWS,weblink See the progress on the American Dream water park, now taking shape, Katzban, Nicholas, November 12, 2018, March 9, 2019, NorthJersey.com, en, April 22, 2019,weblink live, By that date, the opening was delayed to November 27, 2019.WEB,weblink American Dream's theme park to open in October. For other attractions, you'll have to wait., Pries, Allison, September 20, 2019, nj.com, en-US, September 23, 2019, September 23, 2019,weblink live, On November 21, 2019, days before the planned opening, it was delayed to March 19, 2020.WEB,weblink DreamWorks Water Park at American Dream mall delays opening, Pries, Allison, November 21, 2019, nj, en, November 21, 2019, November 22, 2019,weblink live, WEB,weblink Opening date for American Dream water park and some retail stores announced, North Jersey, en, February 28, 2020, February 28, 2020,weblink live, However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the opening date was delayed indefinitely.WEB,weblink American Dream postpones DreamWorks Water Park opening, Blooloop, March 16, 2020, April 6, 2020, April 6, 2020,weblink live, WEB, New Jersey's American Dream Mall Will Reopen Oct. 1,weblink September 8, 2020, NBC New York, September 3, 2020, en-US, September 16, 2020,weblink live, The park eventually opened to the public on October 1, 2020.WEB, Allison Pries, NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, September 30, 2020, American Dream mall reopens Thursday -- including 80+ stores. We got a look inside.,weblink October 1, 2020, nj, en, October 1, 2020,weblink live,

DreamWorks Land

On July 20, 2023, Universal Studios Florida announced that they will open a new themed area known as DreamWorks Land in 2024, replacing the former KidsZone space at Universal Orlando Resort. The area will include DreamWorks Animation franchise like Shrek, Kung Fu Panda, Trolls, and Gabby's Dollhouse.WEB, Goldsmith, Jill, Universal Studios Florida To Debut DreamWorks Land In 2024,weblink Deadline, 21 July 2023, 20 July 2023,

Filmography

Franchises {|classwikitable sortable

! Title! Films! Short films! TV Seasons! Release dates| The Prince of Egypt| 2| 0| 0| 1998–2000Shrek (franchise)>Shrek| 4| 6| 0| 2001–presentSpirit (franchise)>Spirit| 2| 2| 13| 2002–2022Madagascar (franchise)>Madagascar| 4| 4| 17| 2005–presentKung Fu Panda (franchise)>Kung Fu Panda| 4| 5| 8| 2008–presentMonsters vs. Aliens (franchise)>Monsters vs. Aliens| 1| 3| 1| 2009–2014| How to Train Your Dragon| 3| 6| 20| 2010–presentMegamind (franchise)>Megamind| 2| 1| 1| 2010–presentShrek (franchise)#Puss in Boots films>Puss in Boots| 2| 2| 6| 2011–2023The Croods (franchise)>The Croods| 2| 3| 10| 2013–presentTurbo (2013 film)>Turbo| 1| 0| 3| 2013–2016| Rocky and Bullwinkle/Mr. Peabody & Sherman| 1| 1| 5| 2014–2019Home (2015 film)>Home| 1| 1| 4| 2015–2018Trolls (franchise)>Trolls| 3| 5| 15| 2016–present| Tales of Arcadia| 1| 0| 6| 2016–2021The Boss Baby (franchise)>The Boss Baby| 2| 2| 6| 2017–present(Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie>Captain Underpants)| 1| 0| 4| 2017–presentAbominable (2019 film)>Abominable| 1| 1| 2| 2019–presentThe Bad Guys (franchise)>The Bad Guys| 1| 2| 0| 2022–present

Highest-grossing films

{| class="wikitable sortable"! scope="col" | Rank! scope="col" | Title! scope="col" | Year! scope="col" | Distributor! scope="col" | North Americagross! scope="col" | Overseasgross! scope="col" | Worldwidegross! scope="row" | 1|Shrek 2|2004|DreamWorks Pictures|$441,226,247|$487,534,523|$928,760,770! scope="row" | 2|Shrek the Third|2007 Paramount Pictures|$322,719,944|$490,647,436|$813,367,380! scope="row" | 3|Shrek Forever After|2010|$238,736,787|$513,864,080|$752,600,867! scope="row" | 4|(Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted)|2012|$216,391,482|$530,529,792|$746,921,274! scope="row" | 5|Kung Fu Panda 2|2011|$165,249,063|$500,443,218|$665,692,281! scope="row" | 6Kung Fu Panda (film)>Kung Fu Panda|2008|$215,434,591|$416,309,969|$631,744,560! scope="row" | 7|How to Train Your Dragon 2|2014|20th Century Fox|$177,002,924|$444,534,595|$621,537,519! scope="row" | 8|(Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa)|2008|Paramount Pictures|$180,010,950|$423,889,404|$603,900,354! scope="row" | 9|The Croods|2013|20th Century Fox|$187,168,425|$400,036,243|$587,204,668! scope="row" | 10Puss in Boots (2011 film)>Puss in Boots|2011|Paramount Pictures|$149,260,504|$405,726,973|$554,987,477! scope="row" | 11Madagascar (2005 film)>Madagascar|2005|DreamWorks Pictures|$193,595,521|$348,468,325|$542,063,846! scope="row" | 12|The Boss Baby|2017|20th Century Fox|$175,003,033|$352,962,903|$530,646,051! scope="row" | 13|(How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World)|2019|Universal Pictures|$160,799,505|$361,000,000|$521,937,944! scope="row" | 14|Kung Fu Panda 3|2016|20th Century Fox|$143,528,619|$377,642,206|$521,170,825! scope="row" | 15How to Train Your Dragon (2010 film)>How to Train Your Dragon|2010|Paramount Pictures|$217,581,231|$277,297,528|$494,878,759! scope="row" | 16|(Puss in Boots: The Last Wish)|2022|Universal Pictures|$186,090,535|$299,171,104|$485,261,639! scope="row" | 17|Shrek|2001|DreamWorks Pictures|$267,665,011|$220,188,309|$484,409,218! scope="row" | 18 Kung Fu Panda 4|2024|Universal Pictures|$179,982,475|$300,324,000|$480,306,475! scope="row" | 19Home (2015 film)>Home|2015|20th Century Fox|$177,397,510|$208,644,097|$386,041,607! scope="row" |20|Monsters vs. Aliens|2009|Paramount Pictures|$198,351,526|$183,158,344|$381,509,870! scope="row" |21|Shark Tale|2004|DreamWorks Pictures|$160,861,908|$213,721,971|$374,583,879! scope="row" |22|Penguins of Madagascar|2014 20th Century Fox|$83,850,911|$289,664,710|$373,515,621! scope="row" |23Trolls (film)>Trolls|2016|$153,707,064|$193,157,398|$347,013,487! scope="row" |24Over the Hedge (film)>Over the Hedge|2006 Paramount Pictures|$155,019,340|$184,776,550|$339,795,890! scope="row" |25|Megamind|2010|$148,415,853|$173,469,912|$321,885,765

Notable people

• Chris Meledandri, Senior Advisor
• Alessandro Pepe, FX Animator
• Nafees Bin Zafar, Principal Engineer

See also

• DreamWorks Pictures
• Illumination
• Universal Animation Studios
• Amblimation
• Pacific Data Images
• Pearl Studio
• List of animation studios owned by Comcast NBCUniversal

Notes

{{notelist}}

References

{{reflist|30em}}

External links

{{commons category}}

• {{Official website}}
• {{github|dreamworksanimation}}

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