Chapter 83: DreamWorks Animation

"Rita, what were you talking to Charles about?" Tom Hanks walked over with a smile and gave Charles an enthusiastic hug.

"Oh, we were discussing The Terminal. The trailer looks great. A movie by a big director like Steven Spielberg and an Oscar-winning actor like you is something to look forward to!" Charles replied with a smile. He had a great deal of respect for Tom Hanks and his wife.

Back in the early days, it was indeed Tom Hanks who recognized Charles's potential and helped him rise.

"You've done pretty well yourself, Charles! In just three short years, your Carpe Studios has developed to this level. Many people are green with envy," Tom Hanks laughed.

Charles raised his hands in a helpless gesture, "Well, there's no choice. Hollywood is highly competitive. If I don't work hard to develop movies, I'll soon be forgotten."

"Haha," the three of them laughed.

Meanwhile, on the other side, DreamWorks' two big names, Steven Spielberg and Jeffrey Katzenberg, were discussing the upcoming listing of DreamWorks Animation.

"The SEC has already notified us. DreamWorks Animation will go public early next month," said Jeffrey, the chairman of DreamWorks Animation, with anticipation. This meant they could finally go big.

Spielberg nodded. While DreamWorks Animation was going public, the distribution of their animated films would still be handled by DreamWorks itself.

David Geffen, Spielberg, and Jeffrey Katzenberg all held significant shares in DreamWorks Animation. However, the one truly in charge was Jeffrey Katzenberg, who had a talent for 3D animation production.

Spielberg certainly knew his old friend Katzenberg harbored a lingering grudge against Disney.

Currently, DreamWorks Animation led the animation market, followed by Pixar. Blue Sky Studios, which had developed Ice Age two years ago, could barely be considered third.

However, the animation market was still primarily dominated by DreamWorks Animation and Pixar.

Jeffrey Katzenberg and Michael Eisner, the current Disney chairman, had both been deputies to Paramount chairman Barry Diller before they left Paramount to join Disney together.

One was responsible for Disney animation, the other for developing Disney's live-action movies, both making significant contributions to Disney's rise.

Later, when competing for the Disney chairmanship, Jeffrey Katzenberg lost to Michael Eisner and was subsequently ousted.

Katzenberg, Geffen, Spielberg, and investor Paul Allen founded DreamWorks (SKG) the same year Katzenberg was kicked out of Disney.

Under Michael Eisner's leadership, Disney acquired ABC Television Network, purchased Miramax to expand its independent film market, and invested heavily in Disney parks. Disney became an unquestioned powerhouse.

Even now, Jeffrey Katzenberg had a clear attitude towards Disney - resentment. His obsession was to beat Disney, which had made its name in animation, in his very forte.

The rise of 3D animated movies provided DreamWorks Animation with a significant competitor in Pixar, whose films were distributed by Disney.

Over the years, the strife between Disney and DreamWorks Animation had been frequent.

From DreamWorks Animation's Antz against Pixar's A Bug's Life;

Then, when DreamWorks Animation released Shrek, Pixar countered with Monsters, Inc.;

Next up, DreamWorks Animation's Shark Tale was pitted against Pixar's Finding Nemo;

Their battles were numerous and often direct confrontations.

"David manages very little of the company's affairs now. The music and interactive media departments have already been shut down," Spielberg said, still focusing his attention on film and TV production. David Geffen was now essentially semi-retired.

Jeffrey Katzenberg was the most competent in managing the entertainment group. Previously, DreamWorks Group faced many challenges.

Now, with DreamWorks Animation going public, it might even establish its themed movie parks and resorts, similar to Disney.

After all, DreamWorks Animation held enough IP rights to attract children worldwide.

"Don't worry. Even after DreamWorks Animation goes public, production won't decrease, and with our animated feature distribution contract, DreamWorks' market share won't drop!" Katzenberg assured. He was well aware of the current situation at DreamWorks, especially the significant losses in live-action films.

Spielberg oversaw DreamWorks' live-action film division, producing five to seven films each year, many in collaboration with major studios.

War of the Worlds was directed by Spielberg in partnership with Paramount. Munich was another Spielberg-directed film in collaboration with Universal.

Additionally, Spielberg produced many films, including The Island, The Legend of Zorro, The Ring Two, and TV series like Into the West.

Spielberg was very busy, involved in almost every film project at DreamWorks, whether as a director or producer.

"Don't worry. As long as our box office results validate our films, banks will have confidence in our movie company!" Spielberg, always confident, was especially proud of The Island, directed by Michael Bay, known for his handling of action-packed scenes, and which had a budget of a staggering $126 million.

After chatting with the Hanks couple for a while, Charles also mingled with other independent filmmakers, discussing various film projects.

With Carpe Studios having some money now, it naturally attracted independent producers or directors seeking funding.

"Sigh," Charles sighed deeply. Finding a worthwhile project was incredibly tough given that good scripts were hard to come by.

"Charles!" Someone patted his arm. Charles turned to see Catherine Zeta-Jones.

"Catherine, good evening!" For the British beauty who had her second child last year, her high attractiveness might only last another two to three years.

"Hey, I have something to ask you," said Charles. He wanted to know more about Ocean's Twelve.

"You were in Ocean's Twelve, right?"

Catherine Zeta-Jones nodded. "I had a cameo. It didn't take long, just over a week of shooting in Rome."

"Why hadn't I heard anything about a sequel before?"

"Well, George Clooney and Steven Soderbergh came up with the idea in Rome during an event, realizing how well Ocean's Eleven did in terms of both reviews and box office," Catherine admitted.

"They quickly penned the script and, after showing it to Brad and Matt, everything fell into place!"

Catherine clapped her hands together to emphasize.

"Come, have a seat," Charles suggested.

*****

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