DreamWorks Animation and Opus Publishing announce the completion of The Official DreamWorks Animation Opus — a large-format, limited edition book that celebrates the globally acclaimed studio’s creative achievements and documents its 25-year journey to become the international family entertainment brand known today. The title is available for pre-order through ThisIsOpus.com.
“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.”
Nearly four years in the making, the book is the result of a close collaboration between the Opus team and DreamWorks Animation in California, which uncovered previously untold stories and unearthed artifacts from the DreamWorks archive that shed new light on the development paths of the studio’s beloved films and characters. Countless conversations with the directors, producers, writers, artists, designers, executives and actors allow The Opus to tell the DreamWorks story through the voices of those who helped create films and franchises such as The Prince of Egypt, Shrek, Kung Fu Panda, Madagascar, How to Train Your Dragon and Trolls.
For the 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.
Visual development art and film stills are reproduced on an unprecedented, cinematic scale. Images frequently appear at nearly one meter wide, and several gatefolds span nearly two meters 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.
Chief Designer and Editor of the project, Gary Maddison, said, “We felt honored 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.”
The Limited Marquee Edition runs to more than 850 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 copies, each numbered and signed by numerous cast members and directors from nearly all of DreamWorks Animation’s most beloved stories. Cameron Diaz (voice of “Fiona” in the Shrek 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.
To-date, the limited-edition has been signed by studio founder Jeffrey Katzenberg, 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, and 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 and Simon Wells.
