DreamWorks Animation desires Blu
I thought this whole fiasco was over. I was wrong. It appears DreamWorks Animation is still locked into their contract with HD DVD and cannot get out of the contract without Toshiba’s approval.
The studio CEO, Jeffrey Katzenberg, says they’re ready to go Blu-ray but their August 2007 commitment prevents them from doing so. “We said, we have a release coming up on ‘Bee Movie.’ What would you like us to do?,” Katzenberg told Reuters in an interview. “As you know, we have been well-compensated for our support. It really is in their court at this point to really declare what the next step will be. We’re poised either way to jump into the marketplace when the conditions are right to do so.”
This interview does confirm the New York Times report that Paramount (including DreamWorks) and DreamWorks Animation were paid $150-million for their exclusivity. DreamWorks Animation was reported to have received $100-million of this sum, so even if they have to stick out the 18-month commitment it’s unlikely they’ll lose anything they could have gained in Blu-ray sales.
Bee Movie is the next scheduled HD DVD release for DreamWorks Animation.
