DreamWorks Animation announced a first-quarter profit drop of 65 percent Tuesday, an expected result due to the studio’s lack of a big holiday title last year.
In fact, DreamWorks animation CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg was so fine with it, he announced a sequel, slated for 2013, to the studio’s big first-quarter 3D release, “How to Train Your Dragon.”
“(The year) is off to a strong start, thanks in large part to the performance of ‘How to Train Your Dragon,’” he told investors.
"Dragon," which got off to a softer-than-expected $43.7 million start on March 26, didn't register a huge impact in the first quarter ended March 31.
However, with stellar reviews and word-of-mouth, the Paramount-distributed film has declined less than 20 percent each week at the domestic box office, and has grossed $375 million to date.
DreamWorks, which actually exceeded Wall Street’s expectations for the quarter, reported revenue of $162.1 million and profit of $21.7 million for the quarter ended March 31.
That unfavorably compared to revenue of $263 million and a profit of $62 million for the same quarter of 2009, when the bulk of TV and DVD revenue for holiday release “Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa” was recouped.
The studio also had pay TV and disc sales for 2008 summer release “Kung Fu Panda” to factor into that quarter, as well as the premiere weekend of 3D hit “Monsters vs. Aliens,” which opened to $59.3 million.
While first-quarter performance suffered due to comparison, second-quarter numbers should be strong for "DreamWorks," with the bulk of "Dragon's" theatrical revenue registering in those books.
The studio’s second-quarter earnings will also be augmented by the May 3D release of “Shrek Forever After.”
I'd like to see them get to work on a Kung Fu Panda sequel too, but no more Shrek for the love of God.
Aren't the Shreks all bringing in $300,000,000+ worldwide? As long as they're making money like that it'll be hard to get Dreamworks to stop making them.
Aren't the Shreks all bringing in $300,000,000+ worldwide? As long as they're making money like that it'll be hard to get Dreamworks to stop making them.
Shrek Forever After is kind of a re-boot so I doubt they'd do that.
According to Entertainment Weekly's summer movie preview, Shrek Forever After is the last and final Shrek. The producers say there will be no more Shreks after this
The thing i don't like about dreamworks animation is they make to many sequels and they get progressively worse. The studio cares to much about making money instead of delivering a great story unlike pixar. how to train was a great movie though.
According to Entertainment Weekly's summer movie preview, Shrek Forever After is the last and final Shrek. The producers say there will be no more Shreks after this
Well that makes me sad, I had heard there would be 6 Shrek films, guess they included the Puss in Boots and christmas movie in that count.
‘How To Train Your Dragon 2′ Details Emerge [Updated]
Quote:
Unsurprisingly, most of the voice cast from the first How To Train Your Dragon will be returning for the sequel, including Jay Baruchel, Craig Ferguson, America Ferrera, Jonah Hill, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, TJ Miller and Kristen Wiig.
The keen-eyed among you will likely have noticed the absence of Gerard Butler’s name – it’s not exactly clear if that omission is on purpose or not. If it IS on purpose then I’d have to say I’m disappointed, as his voice really suited the character of Hiccup’s father. If this were a less significant project then I might understand Butler not returning, as he’s busy with other projects, but then again, this is a sequel to one of the most popular and successful animated films of the last couple of years.
Dean DeBlois, co-writer and co-director of the first Dragon film, will return for the sequel but will take on sole writing and directing duties this time around. Co-writer and co-director of the first film, Chris Sanders, will serve as exec producer alongside returning producer Bonnie Arnold.
Many of us will be wondering what sort of story this sequel could possibly have, with the first one serving as a solid standalone yarn (the vikings and dragons eventually becoming friends). Unfortunately, these new details don’t include a plot outline but there is enthusiastic talk from DeBlois about, “carrying this story forward, into the unknown reaches of Hiccup and Toothless’ ever-expanding world.”
Perhaps the plot could involve some new band of dragons who are coming to destroy the peaceful existence of the vikings and dragons we know, and Hiccup once again having to try and save the day with the help of his trusty dragon. That seems like a good way to move forward with the story, in my opinion.
However, the most important thing is not necessarily the story itself but that they push things forward in a fresh direction without compromising quality (I, for one, don’t want to see just a rehash of the first film’s plot). Shockingly (sarcasm alert!) the sequel will be in 3D again but this is one of few cases where I’m not worried, as the first film utilized the in-vogue technology almost perfectly.
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Update: Not long after the first details emerged of the How To Train Your Dragon sequel, Deadline is now reporting the news that DreamWorks has signed a deal with Cartoon Network to make an animated series based on the movie(s).
There’s currently no details available about what the plot will be or how exactly the series will relate to the movies (never mind wondering about a story for another film – how can they string it along week-on-week? ). However, we do know the show will air sometime in 2012 in preparation for the release of the second film.
How To Train Your Dragon 2 will hit theaters sometime in either 2012 or 2013.
My cousins hosekeepers sister knows a guy that details cars for one of the secretaries of a company accross the street from Dreamworks and she has lunch with one of the Security officers Moms who vacuums the trailer where they cut the hair of some of the staff and she heard one of the animators friends talking about a writers meeting and she told me what the plot was going to be.
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