Dreamworks looking to leave Disney for universal

[rteetz]

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/steven-spielbergs-dreamworks-split-disney-819594

 

[experiment_6two6]

I'm confused, I thought Dreamworks was with Universal...

 

[rteetz]

I'm confused, I thought Dreamworks was with Universal...

Dream works uses Disney as a distributor.

 

[ColinBlair]

DreamWorks originally did their own distribution and Universal did home video for them. Paramount owned and distributed DreamWorks from 2006-2009 and Disney has done the distribution since then.

DreamWorks Animation (DWA) is a separate company and is currently distributed through 20th Century Fox.

 

[experiment_6two6]

DreamWorks originally did their own distribution and Universal did home video for them. Paramount owned and distributed DreamWorks from 2006-2009 and Disney has done the distribution since then.

DreamWorks Animation (DWA) is a separate company and is currently distributed through 20th Century Fox.

I thought DreamWorks was just animation like Shrek and Madagascar... I didn't know there was more to it!

 

[ChrisFL]

DreamWorks originally did their own distribution and Universal did home video for them. Paramount owned and distributed DreamWorks from 2006-2009 and Disney has done the distribution since then.

DreamWorks Animation (DWA) is a separate company and is currently distributed through 20th Century Fox.

Yep, just like much of Hollywood, relationships are "complicated"

 

[wilkeliza]

I thought DreamWorks was just animation like Shrek and Madagascar... I didn't know there was more to it!

All animation houses are a little more complicated than just making the movies. Dreamworks is mostly just a production house meaning they make it and then pay other companies to do the work getting it into theaters and marketing it. Dreamworks seems to be blaming their flops on the distributes and marketers so keep shopping around when contracts are up.

 

[DDLand]

I thought DreamWorks was just animation like Shrek and Madagascar... I didn't know there was more to it!

The goal was to create the next Walt Disney Company, Universal, 20th Century. A diversified media company that would make live action films, animation, produce records, and I believe had connections to television productions. With some of the greatest minds in Hollywood backing this plan, it seemed like a surefire win...

Ultimately the company's lofty ambitions were not meant to be, its founders (SKG) went their separate ways and its how we got the companies that we know today that are both under the Dreamworks banner. One's publicly traded (animation), the other private (live action). While the partners have been very successful, Dreamworks is far from the same league as Walt Disney or NBCUniversal.

It just goes to show that there's no such thing as a surefire win in Hollywood...

Interestingly it would take years for another firm to attempt to enter the Hollywood game with their own production company, under the leadership of a brash 34 year old. Marvel Entertainment.