DreamWorks Classics (formerly Classic Media) is an American entertainment company owned by DreamWorks Animation. It was founded as Classic Media in 2000 by Eric Ellenbogen and John Engelman. The studio's library consists of acquired intellectual property catalogs and character brands as well as the licensing rights for various third-party properties. In 2012, DreamWorks Animation acquired Classic Media from its then-owner, Boomerang Media.
History[]
Classic Media (2000-2012)[]
Classic Media was founded by Eric Ellenbogen and John Engelman in 2000 and acquired the UPA catalog from Henry Saperstein's estate. Frank Biondi, the former head of Universal Studios, and movie producer Steve Tisch invested in the company. Classic Media then bought the Harvey Entertainment catalog on March 11, 2001. On August 16, 2001, Classic Media and Random House won a joint bid for the assets of Golden Books, with Classic Media acquiring Golden Books' entertainment division (including the Dell Comics and Gold Key libraries) and Random House acquiring Golden Books's book publishing properties. On October 31, 2003, Classic Media purchased the assets of the bankrupt Big Idea Entertainment. By 2007, Classic Media had formed Bullwinkle Studios, a joint venture with Jay Ward Productions, to manage the Jay Ward characters.
DreamWorks Classics (2012–present)[]
On July 23, 2012, DreamWorks Animation acquired Classic Media from Boomerang Media for $155 million; the company became a unit of DreamWorks Animation and was renamed DreamWorks Classics. On June 18, 2014, DreamWorks Animation bought the "Felix the Cat" brand and added it to the DreamWorks Classics portfolio. On April 28, 2016, NBCUniversal announced it would be acquiring DreamWorks Animation for $3.8 billion. The acquisition was completed on August 22.
Chorion[]
New adaptations from Classics[]
- Mr. Peabody and Sherman
- VeggieTales in the House
- Noddy, Toyland Detective
- Voltron: Legendary Defender
- VeggieTales in the City
- She-Ra and the Princesses of Power
- Harvey Street Kids
- Where's Waldo?
Rumored projects[]
- Voltron live-action movie