Information AboutDreamworks |
DreamWorks, LLC, also known as '''DreamWorks Pictures''', '''DreamWorks SKG''', or '''DreamWorks Studios''' is a Major American Film Studio which develops, produces, and distributes films, video games, and television programming. It has produced or distributed more than ten films with box-office grosses totalling more than $100 million each. Its most successful title to date is '' Shrek 2 ''http://www.boxofficemojo.com/studio/chart/?studio=dreamworks.htm. DreamWorks began as an ambitious attempt by media moguls Steven Spielberg , Jeffrey Katzenberg , and David Geffen to create a new Hollywood studio. But in December 2005, the founders agreed to sell the studio to Viacom , the parent company of Paramount Pictures . The sale was completed in February 2006. DreamWorks' animation arm was spun-off in 2004, into DreamWorks Animation SKG , Its films will be distributed worldwide by Paramount, but the animation studio will remain independent of Paramount/Viacom. HISTORY The company was founded following Katzenberg's forced resignation from The Walt Disney Company in 1994. At the suggestion of Spielberg's friend, the two made an agreement with long-time Katzenberg collaborator Geffen to start their own studio. The studio was officially founded on October 12, 1994 with financial backing of $33 million from each of the three main partners and $500 million from Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen . The first feature length DreamWorks film to be released was '' The Peacemaker '', in 1997, although a failed TV pilot called '' Dear Diary '' was put into limited theatrical release in 1996. It went on to win an Oscar for Best Short Film . In 1999, 2000 and 2001, DreamWorks won three consecutive best picture Oscars for '' American Beauty '', '' Gladiator '' and '' A Beautiful Mind '' (the later two with Universal). DreamWorks Records , the company's Record Label (the first project of which was George Michael 's '' Older ''), never lived up to expectations, and was sold in October 2003 to Universal Music Group , which operated the label as DreamWorks Nashville. That label was shut down in 2005 when its flagship artist, Toby Keith , departed to form his own label.Stark, Phyllis, "Toby Keith topped country charts, shook up Music Row," '' Billboard Magazine '', December 24 , 2005 , p. YE-18. The studio has had its greatest financial success with movies, specifically Animated movies. DreamWorks Animation teamed up with Pacific Data Images (now known as PDI/DreamWorks) in 1996 to create some of the highest grossing animated hits of all time, such as '' Antz '' (1998), '' Shrek '' (2001), its sequel '' Shrek 2 '' (2004), '' Shark Tale '' (2004), '' Madagascar '' (2005), '' Over The Hedge '' (2006), and '' Flushed Away '' (2006). Based on their success, DreamWorks Animation has spun off as its own publicly traded company. In fact, PDI/DreamWorks has emerged as the main competitor to Pixar in the age of computer-generated animation, and is based in Redwood City, California . In recent years DreamWorks has scaled back. It stopped plans to build a high-tech studio, sold its music division, and only produces one television series, '' Las Vegas ''. Recently, , and also overestimated the DVD demand for Shrek 2 . In 2005, out of their two large budget pictures, The Island bombed at the domestic box office, while War Of The Worlds was produced as a joint effort with Paramount which was the first to reap the profits. In December 2005, Viacom's Paramount Pictures agreed to purchase the live-action studio. The deal was valued at approximately $1.6 billion, an amount that included about $400 million in debt assumptions. The company completed its acquisition on February 1 2006 . http://money.cnn.com/2005/12/11/news/fortune500/viacom_dreamworks.reut/index.htm. On March 17 2006 Paramount agreed to sell the DreamWorks live-action library to a group led by George Soros for $900 million. Paramount retained the worldwide distribution rights to these films, as well as various auxiliary rights, including music publishing, sequels, and merchandising -- this includes films that had been made by Paramount and DreamWorks. The sale was completed on May 8 2006 . http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/03-17-2006/0004322250&EDATE= TRIVIA
FEATURE FILMS 1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008 and upcoming films
TV SERIES AND SPECIALS See Also: DreamWorks Television MUSICAL ARTISTS See Also: DreamWorks Records REFERENCES EXTERNAL LINKS |
|
|