Anne Globe takes over as DreamWorks Animation's new head of worldwide marketing and consumer products. Globe replaces Terry Press, the longtime and highly effective marketing head of the studio, who announced plans to step down from her role, but to continue to work with the studio as a consultant, as well as to take on other non-competitive projects in the industry.
DreamWorks Animation announced today (Dec. 15, 2006) that Kristina Leslie, its cfo, will be leaving the company. Leslie will remain in her role through Feb. 2007 to oversee the reporting of the company's year-end results. DeamWorks will begin the search for a replacement.
DreamWorks Animation president Lewis Coleman has been elected to the company's board of directors.
"Lew is a widely-respected leader and advisor who has greatly contributed to the success of DreamWorks Animation, both as the company's president and as a prior board member," said Roger Enrico, the DreamWork's chairman. "He has worked hand-in-hand with our board and management team over the past several years in establishing the core objectives of this company and his continued leadership will be instrumental in accomplishing these goals."
After a successful collaboration on the critically acclaimed INTO THE WEST, TNT is teaming once again with DreamWorks Television and exec producer Steven Spielberg for an epic, six-hour adaptation of Stephen King and Peter Straub's mystical adventure, THE TALISMAN. The limited series about a boy on quest through parallel worlds is slated to premiere on TNT in summer 2008
Nina Jacobson has signed a three-year, first-look agreement at DreamWorks Studios, according to THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER. This deal comes six months after she was removed as head of the Walt Disney Motion Pictures Group. The new agreement goes into effect in January.
Jacobson previously worked at DreamWorks as a senior film exec prior to taking the post of president of the motion picture division at Disney in 1998. At DreamWorks, she developed hits, such as WHAT LIES BENEATH and ANTZ, for which she is credited as formulating the original idea.
Paramount Pictures Intl. has partnered with CJ Ent. to distribute its films in South Korea, reports VARIETY. The exclusive deal takes affect Feb. 1, 2007.
This agreement comes on the heals of the demise of Paramount and Universal's South Korean branch of United Intl. Pictures, which distributed the two studios films in the country. Universal will begin distributing its films in South Korea through Universal Pictures Int'l starting Jan. 1.
DreamWorks has bought the film rights to CAMP CREEPY TIME, a children's book written by actress Gina Gershon and her brother, Dann Gershon, VARIETY reports.
Richard LaGravenese (FREEDOM WRITERS) has been brought on board to pen the screenplay for the film, which will be exec produced by the screenwriter and the Gershons. Nickelodeon Films is the production company on the project.
DreamWorks Animation has issued a statement warning investors of a potentially substantial earnings write-down on DreamWorks/Aardman Animations-produced FLUSHED AWAY, which has only made $40.5 million since its opening Nov. 3, 2006. The company said that the film's estimated were $143 million. Specifics of the write-downs were not released.
Jeff Small exits Revolution as its coo to join DreamWorks Studios as coo.
"We are excited about Jeff joining DreamWorks," said Stacey Snider, co-chairman/ceo. "I know Steven Spielberg and all of us here look forward to having this talented executive on our team. His range of experience at all levels of a studio which I recognized firsthand when we were both at Universal will be an asset throughout the company."
Small oversaw Revolution's business and legal affairs, finance, physical production and administration.
Adrian Pennington chats with Peter Lord, Aardman co-founder and producer Flushed Away, on the companys adventures in CG.
We closed out October with Karen Raugusts in-depth report on Indias maturity as a VFX force to be reckoned with. The article contains some nice QuickTime demo reels, too. Meanwhile, in terms of new movies, Alain Bielik talks to Tippett Studios and Furious FX about their CG magic on Disneys THE SANTA CLAUS 3. And Brad Blackbourn and Frank Passingham, the virtual cinematographers from DreamWorks and Aardman on FLUSHED AWAY, tell us all about the challenges of the layout/cinematography approach in marrying the two worlds.
Bill DesowitzEditor
For the third quarter of 2006, DreamWorks Animation SKG Inc. reported total revenue of $55.6 million and net income of $10.5 million, or $0.10 per share on a fully diluted basis. This compares to revenue of $87.1 million and net loss of $0.7 million, or $(0.01) per share on a fully diluted basis, for the same period in 2005. The studio ended the third quarter of 2006 with $536.0 million of cash and cash equivalents.
Nickelodeon and DreamWorks Animation are teaming on possible weekly series based on DreamWorks animated features, KUNG FU PANDA and MADAGASCAR, confirms Nickelodeon. First reported in VARIETY, the MADAGASCAR spinoff will chronicle the adventures of its penguin characters � Skipper, Kowalski, Rico and Private.
Nick will handle the day-to-day development of the series, but plans to outsource the actual CG production.
The latest hit from DreamWorks Animation, OVER THE HEDGE, comes to DVD on Oct. 17, 2006 (DreamWorks Animation/Paramount Home Ent., $19.95). The DVD features an all-new 3D-animated short created by the filmmakers, HAMMYS BOOMERANG ADVENTURE, directed by story artist Will Finn (who provides optional commentary), which reunites all of the films characters and original voice talent in a backyard spin on reality TV that shows what happens when you combine the ever-mischievous RJ the raccoon, three curious porcupine kids, a boomerang and a video camera.
Nearly a full month before the upcoming DreamWorks Animation and Aardman Features comedy FLUSHED AWAY hits theaters, the new online game, THE FLUSHED AWAY UNDERGROUND ADVENTURE, has been made available exclusively on AOL.com (aol.com/flushedaway). The game marks the first time that DreamWorks Animation has created original character animation exclusively for an online game.
DreamWorks Animation announced plans to bring the time-traveling adventures of MR. PEABODY & SHERMAN to the big screen. LION KING director Rob Minkoff will helm the CG feature.
Ive always loved MR. PEABODY & SHERMAN and am thrilled to direct them in their big screen debut, stated Minkoff, who developed the pitch for the film with longtime producing partner Jason Clark.
DreamWorks Home Ent. has announced that OVER THE HEDGE will arrive on DVD Oct. 17 2006. The DVD features an all-new mini-movie created by the filmmakers exclusively for this release, HAMMYS BOOMERANG ADVENTURE, which brings back all of the films characters and original voice for a backyard spin on reality shows that shows what happens when you combine the ever-mischievous RJ the raccoon, three curious porcupine kids, a boomerang and a video camera.
On the heels of the successful worldwide launch of its latest 3D-animated feature, OVER THE HEDGE, DreamWorks Animation will assert a major presence at SIGGRAPH 2006 in Boston at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center (July 30-Aug. 3).
DreamWorks Animation, which will fly more than 80 artists and executives from California for the event, will deliver six sketch presentations, have a major recruiting suite in the Convention Center (Room 252A) and host the SIGGRAPH Educators' Luncheon Symposium for the third year in a row.
The British directing duo, Tom and Charlie Guard, are in negotiations to remake Korean chiller, A TALE OF TWO SISTERS, for DreamWorks, according THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER.
The 2004 original from Kim Jee-woon was based on a classic Korean folk tale crossed with 1970s British horror. The DreamWorks version will follow modern-day teenage sisters Anna and Alex Rydell who return home from a mental hospital only to have their sanity challenged by a cruel stepmother, clueless father and a lingering ghost. Production is set to begin this fall.
HP technology helped DreamWorks Animation SKG create the 3D-animated feature, OVER THE HEDGE, which was released today in U.S. theaters and is showing at the 59th Cannes International Film Festival.
HP, which is DreamWorks Animation's preferred technology provider, delivered servers, workstations and HP Halo collaboration studios to meet the demanding business and production needs required to create the new animated comedy.
Renee Dunlop finds out how directors Kyle Jefferson and Cameron Hood stretched their wings on First Flight, the new 3D-animated short from DreamWorks Animation.
Activision will be opening a dedicated studio facility on the DreamWorks Animation campus in Glendale, California, following on the heels of their strategic alliance. The move, which establishes an unprecedented level of collaboration between a Hollywood studio and a videogame company, will facilitate simultaneous co-development between DreamWorks' 3D-animated features and Activision games based on those films.
DreamWorks Animation will debut a new animated short film, FIRST FLIGHT, on May 19, 2006, exclusively in select New York and Los Angeles theaters, with the opening of the studio's upcoming animated comedy, OVER THE HEDGE.
Written and directed by Cameron Hood and Kyle Jefferson, FIRST FLIGHT is a computer-animated short film about a fastidiously organized businessman, whose perspective on life is forever changed through an unexpected encounter with a tiny fledgling bird.
Judson C. Green, president/ceo of NAVTEQ Corp., has been elected to the DreamWorks Animation board of directors.
President/ceo of NAVTEQ since May 2000, Green has been instrumental in making NAVTEQ a leading provider of comprehensive digital map information and helped established it as a new public company.
DreamWorks Animations website www.dreamworksanimation.com has been redesigned. The revamped site includes new info on upcoming projects such as OVER THE HEDGE, SHREK THE THIRD and the MADAGASCAR sequel.
Features include: * an Animation 101 on how we make movies;* an exclusive interview with the producer and directors of OVER THE HEDGE* a look behind the scenes of MADAGASCAR* a photographic tour of DreamWorks' northern and southern California campuses
