# DreamWorks Animation
**DreamWorks Animation** is an American animation studio based in [Glendale, California](https://www.edgepedia.org/glendale-california), that produces animated feature films and television series, including the *Shrek*, *Madagascar*, *Kung Fu Panda*, *[Trolls](https://www.edgepedia.org/trolls-franchise)*, *The Boss Baby*, *The Croods*, and *How to Train Your Dragon* franchises. Founded in October 1994 as the animation arm of DreamWorks SKG, the studio became an independent public company in 2004 and has been a unit of [NBCUniversal](https://www.edgepedia.org/nbcuniversal) since 2016. In its first 30 years it released 49 feature films and more than 50 television series, generating more than $17 billion at the global box office.[1](https://www.nbcuniversal.com/article/dreamworks-celebrates-30th-anniversary)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Founded | October 12, 1994, by Steven Spielberg, Jeffrey Katzenberg, and David Geffen; the first new studio in 60 years[1](https://www.nbcuniversal.com/article/dreamworks-celebrates-30th-anniversary) • [2](https://www.thewrap.com/dreamworks-animation-history-from-antz-to-shrek-to-comcast/) |
| First feature | *Antz* (1998), the second feature-length computer-animated movie after Disney/Pixar's *Toy Story*[2](https://www.thewrap.com/dreamworks-animation-history-from-antz-to-shrek-to-comcast/) |
| Signature film | *Shrek* (2001), grossed $484 million worldwide and won the first Academy Award for Best Animated Feature[2](https://www.thewrap.com/dreamworks-animation-history-from-antz-to-shrek-to-comcast/) |
| Output to 2024 | 49 feature films and over 50 television series in 30 years[1](https://www.nbcuniversal.com/article/dreamworks-celebrates-30th-anniversary) |
| Global box office | More than $17 billion; top franchises *Shrek* ($3.98 billion), *Kung Fu Panda* ($2.36 billion), *Madagascar* ($2.26 billion)[1](https://www.nbcuniversal.com/article/dreamworks-celebrates-30th-anniversary) |
| Ownership | Acquired by NBCUniversal in 2016 for an equity value of approximately $3.8 billion ($41 per share)[3](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1297401/000095015716001907/ex99-1.htm) |
| Headquarters | A 13-acre campus in Glendale, California, housing artists, animators, technologists, and engineers across film and television[4](https://www.dreamworks.com/about) |
## Founding and early years
DreamWorks SKG was founded in October 1994 by the director [Steven Spielberg](https://www.edgepedia.org/steven-spielberg), the former Disney executive [Jeffrey Katzenberg](https://www.edgepedia.org/jeffrey-katzenberg), and the music executive [David Geffen](https://www.edgepedia.org/david-geffen), whose initials gave the company its name. It was the first new studio founded in Hollywood in 60 years.[1](https://www.nbcuniversal.com/article/dreamworks-celebrates-30th-anniversary) • [2](https://www.thewrap.com/dreamworks-animation-history-from-antz-to-shrek-to-comcast/) The animation division released its first feature, *Antz*, on October 2, 1998, with an all-star voice cast including Woody Allen, Sharon Stone, Jennifer Lopez, and Sylvester Stallone; it was the second feature-length computer-animated movie after *Toy Story*.[2](https://www.thewrap.com/dreamworks-animation-history-from-antz-to-shrek-to-comcast/) Two months later, *The Prince of Egypt* became the company's first Oscar winner, taking Best Original Song for the Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey duet "When You Believe."[2](https://www.thewrap.com/dreamworks-animation-history-from-antz-to-shrek-to-comcast/)
**The Shrek breakthrough.** On May 18, 2001, the studio released *Shrek*, which grossed $484 million worldwide and won the first Academy Award ever given for Best Animated Feature, at the 74th Academy Awards ceremony.[2](https://www.thewrap.com/dreamworks-animation-history-from-antz-to-shrek-to-comcast/) • [5](https://tmng-al.uspto.gov/resting2/api/casedoc/cms/case/98951084/office-action/OfficeAction8449278.pdf) Its 2004 sequel earned $919 million worldwide, confirming the first film's success.[2](https://www.thewrap.com/dreamworks-animation-history-from-antz-to-shrek-to-comcast/) Later in 2004 the animation division was spun off into its own publicly traded company with Katzenberg in charge, while Spielberg and Geffen were reduced to investors and consultants.[2](https://www.thewrap.com/dreamworks-animation-history-from-antz-to-shrek-to-comcast/) The second franchise, *Madagascar*, launched in 2005 with $532 million worldwide.[2](https://www.thewrap.com/dreamworks-animation-history-from-antz-to-shrek-to-comcast/)
## Ownership changes
As an independent public company, DreamWorks Animation drew several suitors before joining a larger media group. In 2014, Japan's SoftBank reportedly explored an acquisition for $3.4 billion before withdrawing the offer, and talks with Hasbro also fell through.[2](https://www.thewrap.com/dreamworks-animation-history-from-antz-to-shrek-to-comcast/) In February 2015 the company reported a $155 million write-off, primarily related to unreleased films including *B.O.O.* and *Monkeys of Mumbai*.[2](https://www.thewrap.com/dreamworks-animation-history-from-antz-to-shrek-to-comcast/)
On April 28, 2016, NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, announced the acquisition of DreamWorks Animation. Under the agreement the studio had an equity value of approximately $3.8 billion, with shareholders receiving $41 in cash per share, and DreamWorks became a unit of the Universal Filmed Entertainment Group alongside [Universal Pictures](https://www.edgepedia.org/universal-pictures), Fandango, and NBCUniversal Brand Development.[3](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1297401/000095015716001907/ex99-1.htm) The acquisition also brought DreamWorks Classics, a library including *Where's Waldo* and *Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer*, into the NBCUniversal portfolio.[3](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1297401/000095015716001907/ex99-1.htm) Jeffrey Katzenberg became Chairman of DreamWorks New Media, comprising the company's interests in Awesomeness TV and NOVA, and served as a consultant to NBCUniversal.[3](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1297401/000095015716001907/ex99-1.htm) Under NBCUniversal, DreamWorks and Illumination, Universal's other animation studio, mostly operate separately, with *Shrek* as one crossover property.[6](https://apnews.com/article/eb819b366624c43170eabb7b1193a577) Since the 2016 acquisition the studio has released twelve films, from *How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World* through *Kung Fu Panda 4*.[1](https://www.nbcuniversal.com/article/dreamworks-celebrates-30th-anniversary) Margie Cohn, a [Nickelodeon](https://www.edgepedia.org/nickelodeon) veteran recruited by Katzenberg in 2013 to build the television division, was named DreamWorks Animation president in 2019.[6](https://apnews.com/article/eb819b366624c43170eabb7b1193a577)
## Films and franchises
The studio's film library is organized around recurring franchises. Its three largest, *Shrek*, *Kung Fu Panda*, and *Madagascar*, have each crossed $2 billion at the global box office, and the studio counts the most animated franchises above that mark: *Shrek* at $3.98 billion, *Kung Fu Panda* at $2.36 billion, and *Madagascar* at $2.26 billion.[1](https://www.nbcuniversal.com/article/dreamworks-celebrates-30th-anniversary) *Kung Fu Panda 3*, released January 29, 2016, was the company's 32nd feature, its first released in January, and grossed over $500 million worldwide.[2](https://www.thewrap.com/dreamworks-animation-history-from-antz-to-shrek-to-comcast/)
In 2024, *The Wild Robot* opened at No. 1 at the domestic box office and was Certified Fresh at 97% with critics and 98% with audiences on Rotten Tomatoes, the 25th time a DreamWorks title led the box office.[1](https://www.nbcuniversal.com/article/dreamworks-celebrates-30th-anniversary) The studio states it consistently delivers two movies a year, one original and one continuing an established franchise.[1](https://www.nbcuniversal.com/article/dreamworks-celebrates-30th-anniversary)
Not every project reached theaters. In February 2013, *Me & My Shadow*, slated for March 14, 2014, was returned to development, and *B.O.O.*, once scheduled for June 5, 2015 by 20th Century Fox, was pulled from the release schedule in November 2014.[2](https://www.thewrap.com/dreamworks-animation-history-from-antz-to-shrek-to-comcast/)
## Television
In 2013, DreamWorks signed a multi-year deal with Netflix to produce first-run content, the start of its television division. Initial series drew on established properties, including *All Hail King Julien* from the *Madagascar* franchise, *The Adventures of Puss in Boots*, and *The Boss Baby: Back in Business*, and the division rebooted classic IP such as *She-Ra and the Princesses of Power* and *Voltron Legendary Defender*. DreamWorks also partnered with [Guillermo del Toro](https://www.edgepedia.org/guillermo-del-toro) on original projects including the *Trollhunters* and *Tales of Arcadia* trilogy.[1](https://www.nbcuniversal.com/article/dreamworks-celebrates-30th-anniversary) The television division has since produced series for Peacock, Hulu, Prime Video, and Apple TV+, with thousands of episodes reaching consumers in more than 190 countries.[1](https://www.nbcuniversal.com/article/dreamworks-celebrates-30th-anniversary) • [4](https://www.dreamworks.com/about) The preschool series *Gabby's Dollhouse* was the sixth-most-viewed streaming original series in 2023.[6](https://apnews.com/article/eb819b366624c43170eabb7b1193a577)
## Technology
DreamWorks has developed its own production software alongside its films. A company prospectus from the mid-2000s described six proprietary systems: an Adaptable Production Environment for pipeline and workflow management, the Emo character animation system, the Light interactive lighting tool and D_Render photorealistic renderer, the Comp digital compositor, the Nile production tracker, and Virtual Studio Collaboration tools for working across geographically diverse sites.[7](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1297401/000119312505061302/ds1.htm)
The studio has received 8 Scientific and Technical Awards from the [Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences](https://www.edgepedia.org/academy-of-motion-picture-arts-and-sciences), including one for its proprietary animation platform Premo, and it released MoonRay, an open-source physically based renderer, which it describes as setting a new standard for visual richness and cinematic scale.[4](https://www.dreamworks.com/about) The production process for a full-length feature, excluding script and early development, takes approximately three to four years from storyboarding to filming out the final image.[8](https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/bitstream/JRC95536/jrc95536.pdf)
## Style and influence
DreamWorks established a recognizable tone early. Time magazine described the studio as an update of the zany Warner Bros. sensibility: zany, parodic, and brimming with pop-culture references, in contrast to Pixar's classic Disney style and uplifting temperament. *Shrek* used pre-existing pop songs and offhand pop-cultural references to an extent that was unprecedented for mainstream American animated features at the time.[9](https://time.com/4609386/best-animated-films/) • [10](https://www.perlego.com/book/3480930/dreamworks-animation-intertextuality-and-aesthetics-in-shrek-and-beyond-pdf) Time's Richard Corliss wrote that rivals had followed DreamWorks' lead rather than Pixar's, and that the DreamWorks gestalt had influenced animated films from *Ice Age* and *Despicable Me* to *Wreck-It Ralph* and *The LEGO Movie*.[9](https://time.com/4609386/best-animated-films/) • [11](https://time.com/102678/how-to-train-your-dragon-2-review-cannes/)
In box-office and awards terms, the studio sits behind Pixar and [Walt Disney Animation Studios](https://www.edgepedia.org/walt-disney-animation-studios) but ahead of most competitors in franchise durability. Pixar has won the Best Animated Feature Oscar 11 times and Walt Disney Animation Studios 4 times since the category was created; DreamWorks has won it twice.[12](https://www.gamesradar.com/entertainment/film-festivals-awards/after-missing-out-on-best-animated-feature-to-kpop-demon-hunters-disney-has-made-surprising-oscars-history-with-its-unlikely-losing-streak/) A dataset of 153 theatrically released animated features from five studios places DreamWorks budgets in a $75 to $175 million middle ground, more consistent than Pixar's outlier peaks.[13](https://oliver-booth.com/projects/animated-movie-comparison)
## References
1. [30 Years of DreamWorks Animation, NBCUniversal (October 8, 2024)](https://www.nbcuniversal.com/article/dreamworks-celebrates-30th-anniversary)
2. [DreamWorks Animation History: From 'Antz' to 'Shrek' to Comcast, TheWrap (April 27, 2016)](https://www.thewrap.com/dreamworks-animation-history-from-antz-to-shrek-to-comcast/)
3. [NBCUniversal Announces DreamWorks Animation Acquisition, SEC Exhibit 99.1 (April 28, 2016)](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1297401/000095015716001907/ex99-1.htm)
4. [About DreamWorks, DreamWorks.com](https://www.dreamworks.com/about)
5. [USPTO Office Action, Case 98951084](https://tmng-al.uspto.gov/resting2/api/casedoc/cms/case/98951084/office-action/OfficeAction8449278.pdf)
6. [DreamWorks Animation at 30: Painting a bright path forward with 'The Wild Robot', AP News (2024)](https://apnews.com/article/eb819b366624c43170eabb7b1193a577)
7. [DreamWorks Animation SKG, Inc. Form S-1 (2004)](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1297401/000119312505061302/ds1.htm)
8. [Digital cinema: release and distribution, JRC Technical Report (2015)](https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/bitstream/JRC95536/jrc95536.pdf)
9. [The 25 All-TIME Best Animated Films, TIME](https://time.com/4609386/best-animated-films/)
10. [DreamWorks Animation: Intertextuality and Aesthetics in Shrek and Beyond, Sam Summers](https://www.perlego.com/book/3480930/dreamworks-animation-intertextuality-and-aesthetics-in-shrek-and-beyond-pdf)
11. [How to Train Your Dragon 2 at Cannes, TIME (2014)](https://time.com/102678/how-to-train-your-dragon-2-review-cannes/)
12. [Disney's Oscars losing streak, GamesRadar (2026)](https://www.gamesradar.com/entertainment/film-festivals-awards/after-missing-out-on-best-animated-feature-to-kpop-demon-hunters-disney-has-made-surprising-oscars-history-with-its-unlikely-losing-streak/)
13. [The Animation Arms Race, Oliver Booth (2026)](https://oliver-booth.com/projects/animated-movie-comparison)
---
*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Screen production organizations › Animation studios › Animation studios by parent company › Animation studios owned by Comcast NBCUniversal*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 19, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 19, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license