Now Available for Pre-order
Four years in the making, the limited-edition art book celebrates 25 years of excellence and innovation by one of the world’s leading animation studios
LONDON — August 13, 2019 —DreamWorks Animation, Opus Publishing, today announced the completion of The Official DreamWorks Animation Opus, a large-format, limited edition book that celebrates the creative achievements of one of the world’s most acclaimed animation studios and documents its growth into the global family entertainment brand it is today.
For nearly the past four years the Opus team has, in official collaboration, worked closely with DreamWorks Animation in California, discovering previously untold stories and unearthing artefacts from the DreamWorks archive that shed new light on the development paths of their films and characters. Countless conversations with the directors, producers, writers, artists, designers, executives and actors allow The Opus to tell the story through the voices of the protagonists who helped create and immortalize such beloved animated feature films and franchises as The Prince of Egypt, Shrek, Kung Fu Panda, Madagascar, How to Train Your Dragon, Trolls and many more.
For the very first time, the studio’s entire 36-movie filmography is captured in the same giant publication, with more than 100 personal contributions from the filmmakers and creators who fashioned these animation masterpieces. Collectively they recount the stories, challenges and memories behind the key moments that made each film unique and give the reader a fascinating insight into how and why these iconic movies developed in the way they did.
Breathtaking visual development art and film stills are reproduced on an unprecedented, cinematic scale. Images frequently appear at nearly one metre wide, and several gatefolds span nearly two metres in width when opened out. The Official DreamWorks Animation Opus celebrates everything about the studio, from the founders of the company to the groundbreaking television division to the creative minds who embrace and shape the pioneering advances in technology that allow DreamWorks to continually push the boundaries of storytelling.
The Limited Marquee Edition runs to more than 850 sensational pages — each measuring 18 inches x 18 inches (45cm x 45cm) — and weighs in excess of 30kg (66lb), making it the largest book ever created to celebrate a movie studio. The Opus will be leather bound, and presented in a beautiful, hand-made clamshell case specially designed to reflect the DreamWorks Animation legacy. The Signed Limited Marquee Edition is limited to only 100 special copies and each copy will be numbered and signed by numerous cast members and directors from nearly all of DreamWorks Animation’s most beloved stories. Cameron Diaz (who provided the voice of “Fiona” in the Shrek series of films) has graciously provided a foreword to The Opus. The 100 signed copies will also be adorned with a bespoke, silver, moon boy medallion, custom-made in England and recessed into the leather front cover. There is also an Unsigned Limited Marquee Edition available, which is limited to 200 numbered copies.
"Working with Opus on such a beautifully crafted and expansive book honoring DreamWorks Animation's 25-year artistic legacy has been incredibly gratifying," said DreamWorks President Margie Cohn. "We are thrilled to share it with fans worldwide."
Chief Designer and Editor of the project, Gary Maddison, said, “We felt honoured and excited when we were awarded the opportunity to tell the story of DreamWorks Animation, and four years later we’re really looking forward to sharing the end result. It’s a new genre for Opus, but we’re very proud of the outcome, which celebrates a quarter of a century of animation excellence, with truly fascinating insight from the filmmakers. It has been an amazing project to work on, and I’ve really enjoyed dealing with content from such talented and creative people. To be honest, the most difficult part of the project was choosing what to leave out!”
Cindy Chang, Vice President Global Publishing, Universal Brand Development said, “The Official DreamWorks Animation Opus celebrates the studio’s rich cinematic history on such an epic-scale, delivering the ultimate behind-the-scenes experience, and we can’t wait for the reaction from fans.”
To date, the following talent from the 25-year history of DreamWorks Animation, along with Jeffrey Katzenberg, have signed the limited-edition pages, with more to come.
Actors: Alec Baldwin, Jay Baruchel, Jack Black, Gerard Butler, Nicolas Cage, James Corden, Cameron Diaz, Craig Ferguson, America Ferrera, Jeff Goldblum, Anna Kendrick, Lisa Kudrow, Andy Serkis, Ben Stiller.
Directors: Brenda Chapman, Lorna Cook, Eric Darnell, Dean DeBlois, Walt Dohrn, Steve Hickner, Vicky Jenson, Tim Johnson, Tom McGrath, Rob Minkoff, Jennifer Yuh Nelson, Peter Ramsey, Chris Sanders, Conrad Vernon, Simon Wells.
The Official DreamWorks Animation Opus can be pre-ordered at: www.thisisopus.com/Dreamworks
To download imagery of The Official DreamWorks Animation Opus, please click HERE.
About Opus
Opus is the world’s leading publisher of collectible large-format limited editions, produced in partnership with iconic personalities, brands and organizations including The National Football League, Major League Baseball, , Prince, Manchester United FC, Formula 1 and Ferrari.
For more information please visit: thisisopus.com
About DreamWorks Animation
DreamWorks Animation (DWA), a division of the Universal Filmed Entertainment Group, within NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast Corporation, is a global family entertainment company with feature film and television brands. The company’s deep portfolio of intellectual property is supported by a robust, worldwide consumer products practice, which includes licensing, and location-based entertainment venues around the world. DWA’s film heritage includes many of the world’s most beloved characters and franchises, including Shrek, Madagascar, Kung Fu Panda, How to Train Your Dragon, Trolls and The Boss Baby, and have amassed more than $15 billion in global box office receipts. DreamWorks Animation’s television business has quickly become one of the world’s leading producers of high-quality, animated family programming, reaching consumers in more than 190 countries. Creating a diverse array of original content in a variety of formats and delivering deep, fully immersive worlds served up with compelling characters, the studio has garnered 25 Emmy® Awards since inception in 2013.
About Universal Brand Development
Universal Brand Development globally drives expansion of the company's intellectual properties, franchises, characters and stories through innovative physical and digital products, content, and consumer experiences. Along with franchise brand management, Universal Brand Development's core businesses include Consumer Products and Games and Digital Platforms based on the company's extensive portfolio of intellectual properties created by Universal Pictures, Illumination, DreamWorks Animation and NBCUniversal cable and television. Universal Brand Development is part of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast Corporation. www.universalbranddevelopment.com.
