You’re an animation studio. You’ve got the gang of creative geniuses known as Aardman signed to your books. At some point in the future, you’re pretty much guaranteed an Oscar. Life looks good, right?
Not according to DreamWorks, who have just severed their ties to the creative house halfway into their current contract.
Which, obviously, sounds mental – but DreamWorks have their reasons. According to Jeffrey Katzenberg, chief executive officer of DreamWorks Animation: “Today, DreamWorks Animation is focused on producing two computer animated movies per year, with a full film slate laid out into 2010. While I will always be a fan and an admirer of Aardman's work, our different business goals no longer support each other.”
But don’t worry, Aardman are all right. Co-owners Peter Lord and David Sproxton said in a statement: “We've enjoyed a hugely successful and creative relationship with Jeffrey and DreamWorks Animation, but both companies are aware that our ambitions have moved apart, and it feels like the right time to move on. Aardman has an ambitious slate of feature film projects in development and we will announce our future production and distribution plans shortly.”
