After the dismal box office performance of SINBAD: LEGEND OF THE SEVEN SEAS ($23.4 M since July 2, 2003), DreamWorks animation head Ann Daly proclaimed in the NEW YORK TIMES that the studio will no longer be making traditionally-drawn features. Co-founder and animation guru Jeffrey Katzenberg added that the 2D art form sadly may be obsolete as a result of changing technology. As it is, DreamWorks was doing more and more of its animating via computer, even though it coined the word "tradigital" to describe the integration of 2D and 3D techniques in SPIRIT: STALLION OF THE CIMARRON and SINBAD.
Lately, only comedies seem to be faring well in animation - particularly so in computer-animation, with Disney/Pixar's FINDING NEMO serving as the most successful example. So DreamWorks moves on with its own slate of computer-animated comedies: SHREK 2 and SHARKSLAYER will open in 2004, while MADAGASCAR and OVER THE HEDGE are bound for 2005.
Bill Desowitz, former editor of VFXWorld, is currently the Crafts Editor of IndieWire.
