DreamWorks Animation Announces Accelerated Slate

DreamWorks Animation has just accelerated its industry leading pace. In fact, DreamWorks is hitting the ground running with Fox, reports THR and The Wall Street Journal, announcing the most ambitious slate in modern history: three films a year between 2013 and 2016, (and four in 2015).

The 12-film slate (eight originals and four sequels) is highlighted by B.O.O: Bureau of Otherworldly Operations (Nov. 6, 2015), a ghost comedy voiced by Seth Rogen and directed by Tony Leondis (Igor), based on his idea and scripted by Tom Wheeler (Puss in Boots); and How to Train Your Dragon 3 (June 18, 2016), directed by Dean DeBlois (How to Train Your Dragon 2). Not bad for Jeffrey Katzenberg, who will be honored with the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award by the Academy, and for chief creative officer Bill Damaschke.

The rest of the schedule consists of: The Croods (March 22, 2013), Turbo (July 19, 2013), Mr. Peabody & Sherman (Nov. 1, 2013), Me and My Shadow (March 14, 2014), How to Train Your Dragon 2 (June 20, 2014), Happy Smekday! (Nov. 26, 2014), The Penguins of Madagascar (March 27, 2015), Trolls (voiced by Jason Schwartzman and Chloe Moretz, June 5, 2015), Mumbai Musical (Dec. 19, 2015), and Kung Fu Panda 3 (March 18, 2016).

The Bollywood-inspired Mumbai Musical (with lyrics by Wicked’s Stephen Schwartz and music by Slumdog Millionaire’s A.R. Rahman) revisits the Ramayana Hindu poem told from the monkey’s point of view. Thanks to DreamWorks’ global expansion, the project will be co-produced with the studio’s India facility.

Happy Smekday! is an alien refuge comedy directed by Tim Johnson (Over the Hedge).

Fortunately, Fox’s own Blue Sky animation studio slate will slide nicely in between with Epic (May 24, 2013), Rio 2 (April 14, 2014).

Posted on by Bill Desowitz in 3-D, Animation, Below the Line, Movies, Tech, VFX, Virtual Production

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