Steven Spielberg may be about to up sticks and move DreamWorks Studios once again as its contract with Disney moves closer to its 2016 expiration, reports The Hollywood Reporter.
DreamWorks currently resides at Disney, which in 2009 wanted new product to put into the markets, with Spielberg’s company securing a distribution deal for 30 films, although only 15 have been made so far. Since then Disney has acquired both Marvel and Lucasfilm, and is busy working through its animated back catalogue with live action remakes (the latest, Cinderella, opens this month, with both Beauty and the Beast and Dumbo set to follow in the next couple of years), meaning the Mouse House has plenty on its upcoming slate.
DreamWorks was founded by Spielberg, David Geffen and Jeffrey Katzenberg in 1994, and handled all its own distribution before being bought by Viacom in 2006 for $1.6 billion, and its subsequent moves to Disney in 2009.
It’s said that Spielberg would prefer a deal at Universal, where he still runs his offices with Amblin, even if that means accepting less favorable terms. However, a source tells the site that the Disney deal isn’t dead yet, stating: “Financially, Disney doesn’t need DreamWorks, but it could provide the studio with the sort of pedigree movies, like Lincoln and The Help, that win awards, and that’s something Disney doesn’t have.”
Spielberg’s next film, Bridge of Spies, starring Tom Hanks is currently in post-production and is scheduled for release this October.
Originally published March 13, 2015. Updated April 14, 2018.
