Comcast Buys Dreamworks Animation for $3.8bn

[captainmoch]

Kung Fu Panda in Beijing isn't surprising at all; those movies were REALLY popular in China, the third one even got animated for the Chinese voices as well as the American voices.

 

[Macfr3ak]

Nice reply.I like how you used the gold & green. Creative. :thumbsup:

Thanks MD!

 

[quinnmac000]

How A DreamWorks-Illumination Combo Beats Disney At The B.O.

How A DreamWorks Animation/Illumination Combo Compares To Disney B.O. | Deadline


The media seems to spinning this deal as a positive super hard today.

 

[Teebin]

That blue spike must be Frozen?

 

[quinnmac000]

That blue spike must be Frozen?

Yes, that year was Monsters University, Planes, and Frozen.

 

[Nick]

I'm assuming this hasn't been asked yet... Does this deal give them the rights to Shrek: The Musical? I'd assume it would, but just wondering.

 

[quinnmac000]

I'm assuming this hasn't been asked yet... Does this deal give them the rights to Shrek: The Musical? I'd assume it would, but just wondering.

yes.

 

[twebber55]

I doubt it. I think there's a higher chance of all the DreamWorks stuff being in one park then there is of Nintendo being moved for one DW property

each park with its semi kids land
Seuss-IOA
Nintnedo-US (i realize it s not just kids)
Dreamworks-New park

although i would strike now HTTYD-great IP for a theme park ride

 

[GAcoaster]

Interesting article about the acquisition, talking about the theme parks particularly and the Chinese market. Apparently Kung Fu Panda is HUGE there...

Comcast vs. Disney: Armed With DreamWorks, NBCUniversal Is Gearing Up For A Theme Park Battle In China

 

[GadgetGuru]

I know everybody keeps pushing Shrek, HTTYD, Panda, and Madagascar. I'm sure those will have their place in the parks.

I'm also convinced that the next couple franchises (the ones not yet released) are going to have just as much park space, if not more. Universal is a marketing and synergy machine. Minions was billion dollar movie solely because of good marketing.

DWA is going to have Universal's full marketing might behind it. Expect their next couple franchises to be much bigger than if DWA + Paramount were still running the show.

 

[quinnmac000]

Also Illuminations/Comcast has been buying animated shorts up at festivals to later turn into full films like this one so I would imagine there may be less franchise stuff being done in the beginning to start up trying to get the next big thing

 

[quinnmac000]

Conference Call for DreamWorks today at 1:30pm (PT) / 4:30pm (ET). Maybe we will get clarity on things involving this deal.

The Comcast acquisition comes as DreamWorks Animation has recently expanded its agreement with Netflix making the streaming service, as the company put it in January, “the global home, outside of China, to a number of new original series.” Netflix also has premium channel TV rights to DWA films, and the studio is one of the biggest suppliers of original kids programming on Netflix. DreamWorks also has a library of 32 films, and owns Classic Media, home of Where’s Waldo, Casper, Lassie, Frosty the Snowman and Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer among others.

DreamWorks Animation also puts out two films a year, an output Burke says Comcast has no intention of slowing. “If we could go from two animated films a year to four animated films a year by having two different parts of our company making those films,” he said, “that would really advance our desire to be everything we could possibly be in the entertainment business.

 

[GadgetGuru]

That's a ton of animated films. 2 Illumination, 2 DWA, 1 Pixar, 1 Disney, 1 WB (Lego), and 1-2 from Laika/Fox/Sony/misc.

Can the market handle all of those? Animated movies have a smaller audience than generic blockbusters. Everybody can go see Avengers. Realistically, the vast majority of the market for animated movies are kids. (Yes, we all love a good Pixar flick, but most people go and see them with their kids)

 

[AlexanderMBush]

That's a ton of animated films. 2 Illumination, 2 DWA, 1 Pixar, 1 Disney, 1 WB (Lego), and 1-2 from Laika/Fox/Sony/misc.

Can the market handle all of those? Animated movies have a smaller audience than generic blockbusters. Everybody can go see Avengers. Realistically, the vast majority of the market for animated movies are kids. (Yes, we all love a good Pixar flick, but most people go and see them with their kids)

Considering what I've seen, it's surprising that there is a lack mainstream Animated movies, especially considering the odds.

 

[Scott W.]

I know everybody keeps pushing Shrek, HTTYD, Panda, and Madagascar. I'm sure those will have their place in the parks.

I'm also convinced that the next couple franchises (the ones not yet released) are going to have just as much park space, if not more. Universal is a marketing and synergy machine. Minions was billion dollar movie solely because of good marketing.

DWA is going to have Universal's full marketing might behind it. Expect their next couple franchises to be much bigger than if DWA + Paramount were still running the show.

I think this is the smart solution. That way Universal aren't boxing all the IPs into one location and if they decide to expand later on, they have the freedom to put the attraction any where instead of the 'Dreamworks Land'.

 

[GadgetGuru]

Considering what I've seen, it's surprising that there is a lack mainstream Animated movies, especially considering the odds.

The thing is, animated movies make a ton of money. Because, until recently, there has been a dearth of them. You had Disney, Pixar, (1 a year of each) and then DWA (1-2 each). That's 4 movies. Now, we throw Illumination into the mix. They've had one a year. But, Disney + Pixar have been alternating lately and DWA has scaled down from their 3 a year strategy. So, the amount of animated movies per year has still been constant. Fox + WB + Laika + Sony + etc maybe have 1-2 on top of that.

But now, all of these studios are getting much more consistent. WB will be 1 a year. Sony is looking to be 1 a year. Disney and Pixar don't seem to be alternating. Illumination is ramping up. I mean, there's only so many weekends in a year. A blockbuster needs a weekend to itself. I think there's going to be an overall scaling back in the number of big movies soon, and animation is just adding to the issue.

 

[AlexanderMBush]

The thing is, animated movies make a ton of money. Because, until recently, there has been a dearth of them. You had Disney, Pixar, (1 a year of each) and then DWA (1-2 each). That's 4 movies. Now, we throw Illumination into the mix. They've had one a year. But, Disney + Pixar have been alternating lately and DWA has scaled down from their 3 a year strategy. So, the amount of animated movies per year has still been constant. Fox + WB + Laika + Sony + etc maybe have 1-2 on top of that.

But now, all of these studios are getting much more consistent. WB will be 1 a year. Sony is looking to be 1 a year. Disney and Pixar don't seem to be alternating. Illumination is ramping up. I mean, there's only so many weekends in a year. A blockbuster needs a weekend to itself. I think there's going to be an overall scaling back in the number of big movies soon, and animation is just adding to the issue.

Lakia though is a every two year basis though when you think about it (Excluding CoraLine, 2012 had ParaNorman; 2014 had BoxTrolls and 2016 has Kubo). Plus WB is seeming that they'll be going into the two-year development next year, with Batman and Ninjago and then 2018 for three Animated films.

DreamWorks seems to be doing fine, and that they'll increase more films overtime. I mean hell; DWA has had the two-year format since 2007. The only years that it was off was for 2014 as Peabody; HTTYD2 and Penguins were all realeased and then 2015 as the only film to be released that year was Home. Same for 2009 for Monsters vs. Aliens.

With Comcast, it seems that they have done very well for most of the part in quality, especially seen in the theme parks and a few of their key franchises. If they can take care of DWA and Illumination as well as the Parks are, then there whouldn't be worrying of this.

 

[Scott W.]

The thing is, animated movies make a ton of money. Because, until recently, there has been a dearth of them. You had Disney, Pixar, (1 a year of each) and then DWA (1-2 each). That's 4 movies. Now, we throw Illumination into the mix. They've had one a year. But, Disney + Pixar have been alternating lately and DWA has scaled down from their 3 a year strategy. So, the amount of animated movies per year has still been constant. Fox + WB + Laika + Sony + etc maybe have 1-2 on top of that.

But now, all of these studios are getting much more consistent. WB will be 1 a year. Sony is looking to be 1 a year. Disney and Pixar don't seem to be alternating. Illumination is ramping up. I mean, there's only so many weekends in a year. A blockbuster needs a weekend to itself. I think there's going to be an overall scaling back in the number of big movies soon, and animation is just adding to the issue.

Hopefully an increase competition will lead to more creativity and better films.

 

[quinnmac000]

No Q&A at the conference call and it lasted less than ten minutes. It seems for a fact this deal is going through though.

 

[Scott W.]

No Q&A at the conference call and it lasted less than ten minutes. It seems for a fact this deal is going through though.

I thought they had already required them?