Dreamworks and Aardman split ways

The writing for this has been on the wall so it may not come as a big shock to you that Dreamworks Animation and Aardman Studio's will no longer be working together on animated films after their multi-picture deal was terminated. Their collaboration started in 1999 when an exclusive agreement signed up Aardman studio's to work with Dreamworks for five feature films. In the end they only made three... the awesome Chicken Run, the recent Wallace and Gromit movie and Flushed Away, the latter being the big crux for the split. To be fair, the writing was on the wall with Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit. Yes the movie was critically successful, even so far as winning an Oscar for Best Animated film in 2005 but it didn't make a profit and is seen as a financial failure. More info from Variety... "Chicken Run" grossed a solid $106.8 million in 2000, but 2005's "Wallace & Gromit" made only $56.1 million Stateside, while last fall's "Flushed Away," which cost well over $100 million to make, grossed only $63.4 million. ("Gromit" did better overseas, but "Flushed" was a worldwide disappointment.) Jeffrey Katzenberg, the chief executive officer of Dreamworks said this... "I am proud of the work we have created together and also greatly admire Aardman's passion and expertise for stop motion filmmaking and brilliant storytelling.""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." Peter Lord and David Sproxton co-owners of Aardman Studio's also released 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." It's a shame but the studio's ambitions did always seem to be pushing in different directions from each. Whereas Dreamworks were going for the hip and cool animated movies like Shrek and Madagascar, Aardman were aiming for the "British" mentality of Ironic humour with Flushed Away and especailly the Wallace and Gromist series. They were never really all that compatible so maybe it's for the best. Dreamworks have Shrek the Third, Bee Movie, Madagascar 2 and Kung Fu Panda on their upcoming schedule. Aardman Studio's have Tortoise vs. Hare and Crood Awakening which were both part of the deal with Dreamworks which will probably not now see the light of day. source - variety, coming soon