Darkbeer has posted a link to an interesting commentary on the Motley Fool website
http://www.micechat.com/forums/showt...226#post285226
While reading it, an intriguing thought popped into my head. I'd like to hear your comments. Dreamworks Animation is headed by Jeffrey Katzenberg. It is also a publicly held corporation. What are your thoughts regarding Disney acquiring DWA and, in effect, re-establishing the "old" animation unit with Katzenberg in charge?
"Yesterday, a man walked up to me and said, 'Isn't it a shame that Walt Disney couldn't be here to see this?' and I said, "He did see this, that's why it's here."
-Art Linkletter July 17, 2005-
When you wish upon a star your dreams come true.
I think I would defer to the people who formerly worked under him, if there are any left. I felt a bit sorry for Katzenberg and was happy for Dreamwork's success, at least until I read 'Disneywar'. While he is no doubt responsible for a great deal of the WDC's early successes, he appears to be an arrogant, insufferable bore and was despised by many of his co-workers. Haven't the poor CM's been through enough? Maybe he's mellowed with age, though.
I have mixed thoughts about it, actually...
Jeff in many ways is as qualified to run Disney as CEO as Iger. Maybe even more qualified... But it would be a cold day in hell when Eisner or the Board would give him his due. So I don't see this happening for at least, another year...
That being said, a move to aquire DWA with a deal that names Katz COO and President is exactly what Disney needs to revitalize not only it's Animation Department, but also it's Film Studio...
The question remains what of Katz' ties to Dreamworks, SKG? It would be a conflict of interest, so either Katz would have to leave or... Well, why not buy it too? After all, NBC/Universal was going to purchase the studio which has problems because it is rather small... And getting access to Spielberg in the deal I think would be good all around and you could likely make that up quickly... Touchstone isn't doing too well at the moment, and I predict that Miramax is going to nose dive after Iger extracts his pound of flesh...
But will the stars align? Probably not... The current track record for Disney points to Iger naming Dick Cook, President and COO... Which isn't a bad choice, and likely the best internal candidate... But he doesn't really have spectacular track record...
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I hate DreamWorks compared to Disney. The only animation films they've done that I really enjoyed are Chicken Run and Wallace & Gromit (I haven't seen it yet- but I know I'll be enjoying it this weekend!) They always steal ideas from other studios (mainly Disney), here some of the DreamWorks films that are ripped off Disney films (though the DreamWorks one may have been released first, the Disney ones were started before) Here's that list:
- Small Soldiers (Toy Story)
- Antz (A Bug's Life)
- The Road to El Dorado (The Emperor's New Groove)
- Shrek (Monsters, Inc.)
- Shark Tale (Finding Nemo) *actually, I still haven't seen Shark Tale because it's too much a rip off of Nemo
and now their next film, Over the Hedge is a rip off of a film that Sony is making called Open Season.
I think this war should end with DreamWorks Animation being bought by Disney, and PDI DreamWorks (DreamWorks' CGI studio) being bought by Pixar.
I hate DreamWorks Animation, the only film of theirs that I'm planing to see is Wallace and Gromit and that's because it's only being released by DreamWorks.
Actually Mr. Incredible,
Over The Hedge is based off a comic strip. It not ripping off, Open Season. It just sometime people have the idea, but do it differently. I agree that Dreamworks has stole their fair shair of ideas from Disney and Pixar but have you heard of The Wild, the new Disney film from a small animatio studio. Basically the plot of the film, is a group of Zoo animals want to escape to the wild fom the San Diegro Zoo. That sounds familar. Any way I still excited for Kung Fu Panda in 2008 with Jack Black, oringally Adam Sandlers as the title role.
Of all the Dreamworks movies, I have only seen Shrek, Shrek 2, Antz, The Road to El Doardo, some of the Prince, and Chicken Run. I have not seen Spirit and Sinbad.
Dude... These have completely differant plot lines... Some of them are shakey comparisons too...Originally Posted by Mr_Incredible
Check out my other blog:TheGrumpyCritic on Twitter
So? The Premice is the Same:
- Antz vs. Bugs Life : Both are about Insects
- The Road to El Dorado : Both are set in a similar South American Enviroment
- Shark Tale vs. Finding Nemo : Both are about Fish
I haven't seen small soldiers, so I cant comment.
Bugs Life = Magnificent Seven
Antz = Woody Allen Comedy
El Dorado = Road Film/Aladdin (Very Dark Film)
New Groove = Couldn't sit through the whole movie it was that bad...
Shark Tale = Mafia Film
Nemo = Incredible Journey/Little Mermaid
Monsters Inc = Little Monsters TV series
Shrek = Eisner's adventures in Fantasyland
Toy Story = Buddy Film
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Katzenberg along with Spielberg have a very good line up to take on Disney animation or so it may look like for these days. With the power of Shrek (already signed for 2 more sequels) and Madagascar (signed for 2 more films) it may look like Dreamworks animation may give Disney a run for its money in the animation department unless Disney starts talking to the other half of the Magic called Pixar.
The Film Quality Prize is still safely in Disney's hands, including Cheapquels...
Both Chicken Run and Wallace & Gromit are the creation of Nick Parks and Aardman Pictures in England.
I don't remember if DreamWorks put up any funding for either film. I did read an article during the making of Chicken Run that said DreamWorks had made several trips during production and requested changes but Parks dug in his heels and refused.
Didn't most everyone in the animation dept despise Katzenberg, including Roy? I see Disney buying Dreamworks as not only a bad idea but one that will most likely never ever ever come to fruition.
Future animated films by Dreamworks include:
-Over the Hedge
-Flushed Away
-Shrek 3
-Madagascar 2
-Crood Awakenings
For Disney:
-Chicken Little
-Kronk's New Groove (Video)
-Cars (Pixar)
-Untitlted Fraggle Rock Project (thats right folks, Fraggle Rock)
-Enchanted (half animated)
-Toy Story 3
-Rapunzel Unbraided
I think with the massive success of the recently released Cinderella on DVD and depending on how Chicken Little does in November we could see a very dramatic change in the Disney Animation department.... but a takeover with Dreamworks Animation is most likely not going to happen. And, Dreamworks also outsources their computer animation to PDI. Fox seems to be one of the only companies to do inhouse computer films, except for Disney with the upcoming Chicken Little.
Fox doesn't - It's done by another studio called Blue Sky
The story I heard about the whole "Antz/Bugs' Life" thing was that "Bugs' Life" was already in pre-production before Katzenberg left Disney. He then goes to start Dreamworks and lo and behold! Announces that their first animated feature will be a story about an ant colony, with the main character being an underdog type who becomes a hero, and ends up with the princess. I had heard that as soon as the announcement about "Antz" came out of DW, someone (it might have been John Lasseter) was quoted as saying something like "I can't believe Jeffrey is doing this!".
Of course, the same thing happens with live action. Remember the year with the two movies about volcanoes? The two movies about asteroids headed towards earth?
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