“It has been a very successful year for DreamWorks Animation, and we hope we will see a continuation of that success in these next two very busy months for the company,” Katzenberg said.
DreamWorks Animation plans to release “Madagascar 2: Escape 2 Africa” on Nov. 7, but officials do not expect the film to provide a significant boost to fourth-quarter revenue, as distributors may not have recouped costs associated with marketing and distribution, Coleman said,
“We do not expect to see significant revenue of the distribution of this film until 2009,” he said.
Still, the company is continually working on new ventures to expand its scope.
In the coming months, DreamWorks is set to unveil a number of new entrainment platforms, such as 3D animation, increasing its online output and new live-theater shows, Coleman said.
In December, “Shrek the Musical” is set to debut in New York City, though the company does not expect to receive a bump in fourth-quarter earnings from the Broadway show, he said.
Looking ahead, officials expect DreamWorks Animation’s fourth-quarter earnings to be driven by the DVD and Blu-ray release of “Kung Fu Panda” on Nov. 9.
The film has surpassed the $400-million mark at box offices around the world, one of only four films to do so this year, and Katzenberg feels there could be more growth.
“We couldn’t be more pleased with its performance,” he said of “Kung Fu Panda.”
“We continue to see the international market as a growth area for the company.”
JEREMY OBERSTEIN covers business, politics and the foothills. He may be reached at (818) 637-3215 or by e-mail at jeremy.oberstein@latimes.com.
