Overview

On October 12, 1994, Steven Spielberg, Jeffrey Katzenberg, and David Geffen—three of Hollywood's biggest players—announced they would form a new studio to produce feature films, television series, and pop music recordings. It didn't have a name, though Katzenberg's reference to his partners as the ""Dream Team"" eventually led to the company being dubbed DreamWorks. What the three men were attempting hadn't been done in more than sixty years: create a movie studio that could compete with the already existing major players. In The Dream Team, Daniel Kimmel tells the behind-the-scenes story of DreamWorks' rise—and the end of the dream eleven years later, when most of the company was sold off or shut down. Its plan for 1,087 acres of studio facilities that would include residences and retail operations came to naught. Its animation division was split off and went public. Its principals had already begun to go their own ways. Mr. Kimmel explores DreamWorks' successes: best-picture Oscars for American Beauty and Gladiator; a near miss (but box office success) for Saving Private Ryan; a smash animated hit Shrek winning the first Oscar ever for best animated feature and pointing the industry toward computer animation. But he also investigates why an enterprise with such promise failed to reach the heights. Was it the company's diffuse management style, or had the industry changed and consolidated so greatly that it was now impossible for new players to break into the ranks? Mr. Kimmel offers intriguing answers, showing how, more often than not, the guys tilting at windmills usually end up on the ground.

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9781566637527

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Reviews

With plenty of enthusiasm for his subject matter, Daniel M. Kimmel covers the history of Dreamworks and doesn't neglect the animation released by the studio that was going to change Hollywood.--Ren Walling Fps Magazine

Kimmel is at his most adroit...Kimmel turns movie history into a saga...readable, fascinating history cum analysis...Highly recommended.--T. Cripps CHOICE

With plenty of enthusiasm for his subject matter, Daniel M. Kimmel covers the history of Dreamworks and doesn't neglect the animation released by the studio that was going to change Hollywood.--Rene Walling Fps Magazine

Smart and concise...a definitive book on the late studio. But it's also an unexpected cracker of a read. -- MaryAnn Johanson Flickfilosopher.Com Kimmel expertly chronicles the establishment and evolution of DreamWorks... Did they succeed? The answer will surprise you. -- Gary K. Wolf, creator of Roger Rabbit A perceptive and richly textured narrative... A worthwhile read! -- James Robert Parish, author, The Hollywood Book of Extravagance [A] glimpse into the complex relationship among three of the industry's most powerful players. -- Ian Breen Bostonia With plenty of enthusiasm for his subject matter, Daniel M. Kimmel covers the history of Dreamworks and doesn't neglect the animation released by the studio that was going to change Hollywood. -- Rene Walling Fps Magazine Combining faultless research with a sure grasp of story telling, Kimmel adds an important chapter to the history of contemporary film. Brookline Booksmith A brisk read that hits all the high-and low-points of this failed experiment in artistic autonomy. -- Allen B. Ury Fade In Magazine A genuine page-turner. Film Review Kimmel is at his most adroit...Kimmel turns movie history into a saga...readable, fascinating history cum analysis...Highly recommended. -- T. Cripps, Morgan State University, emeritus CHOICE

Author Information

Daniel M. Kimmel has been a film critic for more than twenty years, including reporting for Variety. His book The Fourth Network: How FOX Broke the Rules and Reinvented Television (also published by Ivan R. Dee) won the Cable Center Book Award. Mr. Kimmel is a past president of the Boston Society of Film Critics and teaches film at Suffolk University. He lives in Brookline, Massachusetts.

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