BOARDROOMS & BLOCKBUSTERS
The gradual ‘illumination’ of DreamWorks
“The Wild Robot” is coming in just two weeks, and it subverts a troubling trend for the stalwart animation studio.
By SAMMY BOVITZ
DreamWorks Animation will release their latest movie, “The Wild Robot” on Sept. 27, based on the bestselling novel of the same name. In 2010, this first sentence would not be much of a surprise. But in 2024, it’s actually a subversive statement.
DreamWorks is owned by NBCUniversal, and for a while, they were animation darlings — legitimate challengers to Pixar. They produced lots of franchises, sure, but that didn’t stop them from making largely intelligent films with surprising ideas. Early franchises like the “Shrek” and “Kung Fu Panda” series became fan favorites and were supplemented by one-off theatrical darlings such as “Megamind” (2010) and “Over the Hedge” (2006).
But something has changed in recent years. Instead of creating franchises with depth and heart, the studio has turned to junk food like “The Boss Baby” and “Trolls” and have recently begun revisiting now-tired franchises like “Kung Fu Panda.”
Their 2020s filmography thus far is defined by a lack of originality. New entries in seven different franchises have been supplemented with just five fresh films, but one of them — “The Bad Guys” (2022) — is now becoming a franchise, with a sequel set for next year.
Additionally, two of those so-called “originals” are book adaptations, and another is a television series adaptation. DreamWorks has technically made five original non-franchise movies. But when given further context, “Ruby Gillman: Teenage Kraken” (2023) is all they’ve got.
DreamWorks is just one of many studios involved in an onslaught of pivoting to sequels and spinoffs in an increasingly volatile age for Hollywood. It is not their fault that this is how the industry moves now. That said, there’s an obvious culprit for this trend away from originality in animation.
NBCUniversal owns another animation studio named Illumination: the undisputed kings of doing the same thing over and over again.
Of the 15 movies they’ve released thus far, four are a part of the never-ending “Despicable Me” franchise, and an additional two belong to the spinoff “Minions” series. Newer franchises such as “The Secret Life of Pets” and “Sing” have two entries each. Illumination has also made two Dr. Seuss adaptations alongside their recent “Super Mario Bros.” movie.
That leaves just two original movies in their entire filmography: “Hop” (2011) — a flop by their standards that they’d probably rather see forgotten — and “Migration” (2023), which is so new that a sequel is still absolutely in the cards.
This trend will only continue for Illumination’s future slate: “Mario” and “Minions” follow-ups are already on the schedule. In a 2023 interview with Variety, Illumination CEO Chris Meledandri confirmed that new installments in the “The Secret Life of Pets” and “Sing” series are not far behind.
But it’s no secret that Illumination recycles and adapts the same ideas constantly. The real key is that their strategy works on a mind-boggling scale. The shared “Despicable Me” and “Minions” series is the first animated franchise ever to reach $5 billion at the box office. That’s over $1 billion more than Tom Holland’s “Spider-Man” trilogy.
This is not to say these franchises are quality or even admired by the general public. The New York Times devastatingly described “Minions: Rise of Gru” (2022) as “spectacularly inconsequential.” But they make a lot of money, so any Universal executive with a pulse knew what to do next.
DreamWorks has now transformed into a sort of faux-prestige version of Illumination, cashing in on previous goodwill and beloved characters to create forgettable sequels such as this year’s “Kung Fu Panda 4.” I have no doubt that “Shrek 5,” slated for release in 2026, will make truckloads of money. But it would be shocking if that sequel made anywhere near the level of emotional impact that, say, “Toy Story 2” (1999) did.
That said, these movies aren’t going for the crown held by “Toy Story 2” and its sparkling 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes. They’re instead aiming at “Inside Out 2” — a good movie, sure, but also the highest-grossing animated film of all time.
However, as Illumination has demonstrated, a franchise does not need to be high-quality or even memorable to drive success at the box office. It’s a comforting strategy for DreamWorks, but it’s a bit of a tragic one for the moviegoer.
After all, “Shrek” (2001) was originally conceived as a pastiche of Disney’s fairy-tale franchise formula — and now its status as a flagship franchise is identical to the works it was parodying. It’s a staggering reversal from DreamWorks; they once promised change, and now are largely providing more of the same.
Sammy Bovitz is a sophomore writing about the business of film. His column, “Boardrooms & Blockbusters,” runs every other Thursday. He is also an assistant arts & entertainment editor at the Daily Trojan.
