And ghost 'toon B.O.O. is going back into limbo
It has been a tough few years for DreamWorks Animation. While some films – such as the How To Train Your Dragon outings – have been profitable, the company has faced a series of money-losing flops including the likes of Turbo and Mr. Peabody & Sherman. As a result, boss Jeffrey Katzenberg has announced a reduced slate, job losses and outsourcing of at least one film.
“I don’t think we ever attained the creative capacity to maintain the highest level of quality while we went for the quantity,” Katzenberg tells Variety. “We achieved the production capacity but not the creative capacity to do it. We have fallen short on the creative side of it.”
As part of the cutbacks, 500 jobs will go, some of the chief executives are stepping down and the company’s PDI animation production company in Northern California has been shut down. Film-wise, the focus from 2016 will be on one original film and one sequel a year, down from the ambitious three-film slate announced a while ago. The current run after this year’s lone release Home, includes Kung Fu Panda 3 and Trolls in 2016, Boss Baby and The Croods 2 in 2017, and Larrikins and How To Train Your Dragon 3 in 2018. Budgets will also be cut, with most films now made for $120 million, down from the company’s previous standard $145-$150 million.
Two other films, the ghostly comedy B.O.O.: Bureau Of Otherworldly Operations, which was well into production with a voice cast including Melissa McCarthy, and Mumbai Musical have been put back into development with no set date. Kids’ book adaptation Captain Underpants, meanwhile, will be handed off to an independent company for a much lower price. All in all, sad times for DreamWorks, particularly those losing their jobs, but hopefully a chance for the company to keep moving.
from Empire News
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