by Gabriel Santana

DreamWorks Animation SKG

1000 Flower Street | Gendale, CA 91201

DreamWorks Animation SKG Logo [1]

A Brief History

         DreamWorks Animation is the product of Steven Spielberg, Jeffrey Katzenberg and David Geffen [2]. Prior to being established, DreamWorks Animation operated as a business division under DreamWorks LLC, founded by Spielberg, Katzenberg and Geffen in 1994 [3]. DreamWorks LLC gained recognition for producing Academy Award-winning films such as Gladiator and American Beauty [4]. From such success, Jeffrey Katzenberg was able to lead DreamWorks Animation as a publicly-traded company on October 28th, 2004 [5].

Jeffrey Katzenberg [6]
CEO and Director

Ann Daly [7]
President

Lew Coleman [8]
Vice-Chairman

Fazal Merchant [9]
Chief Financial Officer

Making A Name

        With a strong, creative team and a passion for story, DreamWorks Animation SKG has become the world’s largest animation studio with a total of 30 feature-length films in its repertoire [10]. It has produced some of the most unforgettable and highly entertaining animated films of all time, the likes of which include Shrek, Madagascar and Kung Fu Panda. Each of the films mentioned have met both commercial and critical acclaim, and have done so well to even produce sequels that continue their success.

Promotional Banner for Shrek [11]

Finances

Money Talks

        In late September of 2014, DreamWorks Animation began acquisition talks with Softbank, one of Japan’s largest telecommunications and Internet providers, for an approximate amount of $3.3 billion dollars. Softbank holds a focus on mobile Internet and content specific to the medium. Talks of an acquisition then grew quiet as the company was said to not be necessarily interested in takeover as much as partnership in regards to content [ ].

              In early November of 2014,

Regaining Balance

Future Releases

         In television, DreamWorks Animation SKG will release another original series on Netflix, the leading internet television network. All Hail King Julien will debut on December 19th, 2014. The show will tell the story of the world’s favorite lemur partying it up in Madagascar prior to the arrival of Alex and the gang from New York [ ].

        In film, DreamWorks Animation SKG has a big year planned for 2015. Home, releasing on March 27th, 2015, is the story of a young girl named Tip who befriends Oh, an alien of the Boov race. The Boov’s have taken over planet Earth as their new home, while Tip and Oh journey in search as to why [ ]. B.O.O.: Bureau of Otherworldly Operations follows with a release on June 5th, and focuses on a ghost who must revise his approach to haunting by going back to ghost school [ ]. Closing out the year is Kung Fu Panda 3, with an approximate release date of December 23rd [ ]. In this third installment of the widely successful series, Po must confront a threat that hits home and another that’s supernatural [ ].

           Down the road, DreamWorks Animation SKG plans to release Boss Baby on March 18th, 2016, a comedy starring the voices of Kevin Spacey and Alec Baldwin.  The two renowned actors will play rival bosses, who are actually babies, battling it out for the World’s Best Boss title [ ].

       Marvel’s recent announcement of upcoming superhero films, which include The Avengers: Age of Ultron, and Pixar’s Inside Out conflicts with DreamWorks Animation’s release of B.O.O. [ ]. B.O.O. is the first and most likely film of the 2015 line-up that DreamWorks Animation may have to move [ ]. Regardless, both 2015 and 2016 look promising of commercial and critical success for DreamWorks Animation SKG.

Conclusion

        DreamWorks Animation SKG has had it’s fair share of ups and downs, like any company vying to remain prominent in the industry. The company has a solid track record and consistently produces content that pushes the boundaries of feature-length animated film with each release. Katzenberg and his team at DreamWorks Animation SKG are pressing forward, displaying perseverance as they continue to cater to the needs of both the film industry and audiences around the world.

Sources:

[1] Courtesy of DreamWorks Animation SKG Twitter Account

[2] DreamWorks Animation SKG | Investor Relations | FAQ

[3] DreamWorks Animation SKG | Investor Relations | FAQ

[4] DreamWorks Animation SKG | Jeffrey Katzenberg | Bio

[5] DreamWorks Animation SKG | Investor Relations | FAQ

[6] Courtesy of DreamWorks Animation SKG | Management Team

[7] Courtesy of DreamWorks Animation SKG | Management Team

[8] Courtesy of DreamWorks Animation SKG | Management Team

[9] Courtesy of DreamWorks Animation SKG | Management Team

[10] DreamWorks Animation SKG | Jeffrey Katzenberg | Bio

[11] Courtesy of DreamWorks Animation SKG | Movies | Shrek

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