DreamWorks Classics facts for kids
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Trade name
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DreamWorks Classics |
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| Subsidiary | |
| Industry | Intellectual property |
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| Founded | May 2000 |
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| Headquarters | , |
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Key people
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Eric Ellenbogen John Engelman Margie Cohn Claire Shaw (VP Consumer Products, United Kingdom) |
| Revenue | US$82 million (2012) |
| US$19 million (2012) | |
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Number of employees
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80 (2012) |
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Classic Media, LLC, which does business as DreamWorks Classics, is an American company that owns the rights to many famous characters and TV shows. It is owned by DreamWorks Animation, the studio famous for movies like Shrek and How to Train Your Dragon. DreamWorks Animation is part of a larger company called NBCUniversal.
Classic Media was started in May 2000 by Eric Ellenbogen and John Engelman. The company's main job is to buy the rights to classic characters and shows. This means they can make new movies, TV series, and toys based on them.
In 2012, DreamWorks Animation bought Classic Media. After the purchase, the company started using the name DreamWorks Classics. This helps people know it's part of the DreamWorks family.
Contents
Company History
Starting Out (2000–2006)
Classic Media was founded in 2000. One of its first purchases was the catalog of United Productions of America (UPA). This gave them characters like the near-sighted Mr. Magoo.
In 2001, the company bought most of The Harvey Entertainment Company. This deal brought famous characters like Casper the Friendly Ghost and Richie Rich to Classic Media. Later that year, they also bought the entertainment part of Western Publishing, which included many comic book characters.
In 2002, Classic Media teamed up with Jay Ward Productions. They created a new studio called Bullwinkle Studios. This venture managed characters like Rocky and Bullwinkle and George of the Jungle. In 2003, the company also bought Big Idea Entertainment, the creators of VeggieTales.
In 2006, Classic Media helped launch a new kids' TV network called Qubo. They worked with other big companies like NBCUniversal and Scholastic Corporation to make it happen.
Changes in Ownership (2006–2012)
At the end of 2006, a company from the United Kingdom called Entertainment Rights bought Classic Media for $210 million. This brought even more shows and characters under one roof.
However, Entertainment Rights had financial problems. In 2009, the original founders of Classic Media, Ellenbogen and Engelman, formed a new company called Boomerang Media. They bought back Classic Media and Big Idea Entertainment. The company was once again known as Classic Media.
In 2012, Classic Media bought the rights to the popular characters Noddy and Olivia.
Joining DreamWorks Animation (2012–Present)
A huge change happened on July 23, 2012. DreamWorks Animation announced it was buying Classic Media for $155 million. After the sale, Classic Media began using the name DreamWorks Classics.
As part of DreamWorks, the company continued to grow its collection. In 2013, it bought the library of Chapman Entertainment, a British studio. This added shows like Roary the Racing Car and Fifi and the Flowertots to its collection.
In 2014, DreamWorks Animation bought the rights to Felix the Cat, one of the oldest and most famous cartoon characters. Felix also became part of the DreamWorks Classics library.
In 2016, an even bigger company, NBCUniversal, bought DreamWorks Animation. This means that Classic Media and all its characters are now part of the giant NBCUniversal family, which also owns Universal Pictures.
Famous Characters and Shows
DreamWorks Classics owns a huge library of beloved characters and television shows. Here are some of the most famous ones.
Cartoons and TV Shows
- United Productions of America (UPA): Home of Mr. Magoo and Gerald McBoing-Boing.
- Harvey Entertainment: Includes famous characters like Casper the Friendly Ghost, Richie Rich, and Baby Huey.
- Golden Books: This library includes Lassie, The Lone Ranger, and the holiday classics from Rankin/Bass.
- Rankin/Bass Holiday Specials: The company owns many classic Christmas specials, such as Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Frosty the Snowman, and Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town.
- Total Television: Features classic cartoons like Underdog and Tennessee Tuxedo and His Tales.
- Big Idea Entertainment: The creators of the popular series VeggieTales and 3-2-1 Penguins!.
- Filmation: This studio made many popular cartoons from the 1970s and 1980s, including The Archie Show, Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids, and He-Man and the Masters of the Universe.
- British Shows: The company owns many shows from the UK, such as Postman Pat, Roary the Racing Car, and The Basil Brush Show.
Famous Characters
Besides TV shows, DreamWorks Classics also owns the rights to individual characters, including:
- Felix the Cat
- Noddy
- Olivia
- Where's Waldo?
- Rupert Bear
- Voltron (under license)
Partnerships
For many years, DreamWorks Classics worked with Bullwinkle Studios to manage characters from Jay Ward Productions. This included Rocky and Bullwinkle, Mr. Peabody & Sherman, and George of the Jungle. This partnership ended in 2022, but DreamWorks still owns the shows and movies it made with these characters, like the Mr. Peabody & Sherman movie.
See also
In Spanish: DreamWorks Classics para niños
