Disney And DreamWorks To Part Ways After The BFG

Mike P Williams

Disney’s deal with DreamWorks is coming to an end, according to sources, with Steven Spielberg (one of its founders) set to become a more prominent part of Universal.

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The Hollywood Reporter has revealed that the distribution deal between Spielberg’s DreamWorks and the Walt Disney Company will see the ‘Jurassic Park’ director pocket tens of million of dollars from ‘Jurassic World’, as a hands-on executive producer, and will play a similar part for its sequel.

But how will this parting of ways affect their respective working relationship?

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The deal began in 2009, with their partnership coming to an end on 1 July, 2016 after the release of ‘The BFG’. It seems that a couple of future projects might now align themselves with different distributors rather than Disney, including the Emily Blunt-starring ‘The Girl on the Train’ and the highly anticipated ‘Ghost in the Shell’ live-action movie with Scarlett Johansson.

Aside from parting ways with the iconic Disney name, these productions may be picked up by their new, as yet unnamed partner (although it appears liely Spielberg will move to Universal in full), which could mean the end result - for ‘Ghost in the Shell’, especially - could be rather different to how it’d be under the guise of Disney.

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‘Ghost in the Shell’ - the famed anime classic from Mamoru Oshii - is, at times, rather adult in its content, so perhaps wouldn’t have sat well for Disney’s involvement, considering their family orientated audience and approach to cinema, meaning we may see a more mature version of the story.

What’s more, DreamWorks will be glad to agree a new deal with a new company after being somewhat shunned by Disney. Allegedly, there was a degree of disdain when then chairman Dick Cook agreed that Disney would not only invest in DreamWorks movies, but would collaborate also. Shortly after, Bob Iger took over and that agreement was swiftly forgotten about.

It’ll therefore be interesting to see not only who DreamWorks team up with in the next 12 months, but how productions such as ‘Ghost in the Shell’ turn out based on who’s affiliating as a new partner - hopefully it’ll retain that faithfulness to the original content of the 1995 anime.

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Picture credits: Cosgrove Hall Films, Production I.G.