For a long time, it seemed like Disney was the only company that could produce good animation. Yes, there were smaller independent films and companies, but nothing really compared to the Mouse. And for a while, it seemed that things would stay that way. But then DreamWorks came along.
Starting from fairly humble beginnings, DreamWorks has become a big animation company, often giving Disney a run for their money. The company has created quite a few companies. Many have been fantastic, showing off a fun and different animation style. Others were… not as good.
I’ll be honest, I was pretty indifferent to DreamWorks up until How to Train Your Dragon was released. It showed me what DreamWorks was really capable of, an incredible, beautiful, stunning movie. After that, movies like Kung Fu Panda and Megamind changed my opinion of the company. Yes, they could do weird and quirky movies, but they could also do beautiful and thought-provoking ones too.
Today, DreamWorks is still hit and miss for me. Sometimes I love the latest movie, and other times, I’m not that impressed. But regardless of what you may think of the company, DreamWorks has shown that it’s here to stay.
But not everything is sunshine and rainbows for this company. In fact, there are quite a few secrets that many DreamWorks movies have, and some can be quite dark. So here are 25 dark secrets about DreamWorks you probably didn’t know.
Think we missed some good ones? Let us know in the comments below!
25 This Movie Made History
Remember Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas? It’s actually a pretty fun movie, full of crazy adventure, entertaining characters, and some pretty impressive 2D animation (Eris’s animation is absolutely gorgeous). While it wasn’t fantastic, it did get decent ratings. I know I certainly enjoyed it.
Sinbad is actually what ruined 2D animation for Dreamworks.
But it was a pretty big flop at the box office, making DreamWorks lose over $125 million. And this movie is actually what ruined 2D animation for DreamWorks. After Sinbad, the company decided to stick solely to 3D animated films, and no longer do traditional animation, which is a shame. I’m a fan of traditional 2D animation myself, so it was really sad for me to see a company cut it from their movies. Surprisingly, Disney more or less followed suit after The Princess and The Frog flopped 5 years later.
24 This Awesome Lady Wasn’t Supposed To Exist
I feel like the How to Train Your Dragon movie wouldn’t have been complete without our fiery, blond Viking girl, Astrid. I loved that she was this tough, no-nonsense dragon fighter who wasn’t afraid to tell people what she thought of them. But we also saw her softer moments with Hiccup and when she showed she was afraid of failing.
But did you know that Astrid technically wasn’t supposed to exist? At least, she doesn’t exist at all in the books the movie is based on. The producer noted that Astrid was created because they felt the movie needed a strong female character. Considering she was initially created to just be the love interest, Astrid evolved quite a bit into a pretty compelling character. I’m certainly glad they created her; she’s awesome!
23 These Two Are More Connected Than You Think
For as long as DreamWorks has existed, there’s been a bit of a rivalry with the company and Disney. Even the first few movies DreamWorks did were more of a satire of Disney movies. It does make sense since Jerry Katzenburg was part of Disney before he left and started DreamWorks. So, it would make sense that he wanted to stick it to the Mouse. But did you know that Disney actually distributed DreamWorks’ products for a while?
Disney actually distributed DreamWorks’ products for a while.
In 2009, DreamWorks entered a distribution agreement with Disney, where Disney would distribute DreamWorks’ movies through Touchstone Pictures. And this continued for quite a while, up until 2016. Now, Universal Pictures distributes DreamWorks’ movies. But that’s kind of crazy that DreamWorks’ unofficial rival was helping to distribute their products. Talking about sleeping with the enemy.
22 This Guy Wasn’t Going To Be Alone
I think Megamind is a truly underrated film that got the shaft just because it came out around the same time as Despicable Me. I’ll admit, I was surprised by how much I liked the movie since I didn’t expect it to be that good. But it was pretty amazing, taking a classic superhero story and telling it from the supervillain’s point of view. Megamind himself is a pretty fun character, being both hilarious and relatable.
But Megamind wasn’t going to be the only supervillain in the movie. DreamWorks actually had their art team create several different types of supervillains. Megamind was originally going to be part of a supervillain league called Doom Syndicate. Some of the baddies included White Zombie, The Barista, The Ectopus, and Destruction Worker. Unfortunately, the Doom Syndicate was eventually cut from the movie. But they actually do show up in the video game Megamind: Ultimate Showdown.
21 Seriously, This Wouldn’t Fly Today
I think many people can agree that Shark Tale is likely the worst of DreamWorks’ animated movies. The plot is uninspired, the animation is rather ugly, and the characters are all pretty boring. (Plus, Will Smith as the main character is incredibly annoying. I Like Will Smith, but this was definitely some of his worst work.) But one thing that you probably didn’t pick up on as a kid was that the character designs were pretty racist.
This movie stereotypes quite a few groups, such as African Americans, Jamaicans, Italians, and the list goes on. Between the designs and the mannerisms, there’s a lot that would be considered pretty offensive. I get that they did it to be funny, but most of the jokes aren’t even that funny. I’ll never understand how on earth this movie actually won an Oscar.
20 This Movie Was Going To Look Very Different
If you think about it, Shrek was a pretty impressive feat of animation, especially for 3D animated movies at that time. The scene with the dragon was awesome, donkey’s fur was done well, and the different textures were impressive. Even the scene where Shrek takes a shower in mud is animated surprisingly well. It really is a pretty cool animated movie.
Shrek originally wasn’t going to be animated.
So, it may surprise you that Shrek originally wasn’t going to be animated. Yeah, this movie was supposed to be live-action with CGI, and they even did quite a few shots: 31 sequences. But when the test-screening for the studio executives didn’t go well, they then went the animation route. Personally, I’m glad they decided to animate it, mostly since live-action mixed with heavy CGI usually doesn’t age well.
19 This Movie Isn’t Exactly Accurate
Madagascar stars quite a few different animals, but the main four are animals that lived at the Central Park Zoo. According to this movie, Alex the lion, Gloria the hippo, Marty the zebra, and Melvin the giraffe all live at this zoo. And for a while, they’re happy until Marty gets the itch to go to the wild. And according to the movie, these characters are all quite loved by the people.
But did you know that in real life, the portrayal of the Central Park Zoo isn’t quite that accurate? The truth is none of the main character’s species actually live in the zoo. So, this zoo doesn’t have hippos, lions, zebras, or giraffes. They do have penguins and monkeys though. It is a little weird that zoo doesn’t have any of the main characters, but I guess that’s where artistic liberty comes in.
18 We Would’ve Seen A Lot More Of These Guys
The Road to El Dorado was a pretty interesting movie, and it showed what happens when a couple of con men go on a treasure hunt and actually find it. The movie has plenty of faults, but it’s still fun, full of gorgeous colors, entertaining characters, and pretty impressive animation. But unfortunately, it was a box office flop.
There were plans for several sequels to the movie.
Did you know, though, that there were plans for several sequels to the movie? These sequels would’ve explored the adventures of Miguel, Tulio, and Chel, as they traveled around the world. But these sequels were all immediately scrapped after The Road to El Dorado didn’t do well in theaters. It’s a shame because I think a movie about more of their adventures would’ve been pretty fun! Oh well, I guess some things weren’t meant to be.
17 Because When You’re Evil…
I think Kung Fu Panda was a movie that surprised everyone by how good it was. I know I was skeptical of it, especially since I knew Jack Black would be voicing the main character (he’s kind of a hit and miss actor for me.) But the movie ended up being pretty awesome! And part of that were the interesting characters, among them the Furious Five. While they initially didn’t take Po seriously, they did end up befriending him, especially Mantis.
But did you know that Mantis was originally going to be a bad guy? Supposedly, he was going to betray Po. The idea was eventually scrapped, and Tai Lung was created as a villain. Personally, I think they made the right call. Mantis’ betrayal wouldn’t have made sense, and Tai Lung’s backstory was quite heartfelt and relatable.
16 This Guy Was Almost This Guy
It’s hard to imagine Shrek without Mike Meyer’s voice. He did an amazing job of creating this grumpy, yet relatable character with his voice alone. Meyers actually tried out a few different accents before settling on Shrek’s more Scottish feel. But did you know that Meyers wasn’t originally the pick?
Meyers wasn’t originally going to play Shrek.
The title of Shrek was going to be given to Chris Farley, a Saturday Night Live veteran. So, what happened? Well… he perished. Yep, Chris Farley passed from a substance overdose in 1997. His untimely passing meant that DreamWorks had to find a new Shrek, and that’s where Meyers came in. It’s a shame that it all happened. I’m curious to see how Farley would have done as Shrek. I guess that’s something we’ll never know.
15 This Guy Doesn’t Like Madagascar As Much As You Think
Madagascar got mixed reviews when it came out. Some liked it for its zaniness and memorable characters while others hated it for its obnoxious energy and weak plot. But the movie did pretty well at the box office, at least enough to garner a couple of sequels.
But did you know that the head of DreamWorks himself didn’t really like Madagascar? Well, at least he didn’t like the third act. Jerry Katzenberg said in an interview that he was disappointed with the third act of Madagascar, though I could see why. Compared to the rest of the movie, the last part feels a little slow and bland. And how they solve the whole Alex wanting to eat Marty thing was pretty weak. I could see why the head himself didn’t really like it.
14 Po Got Into Some Legal Trouble
Kung Fu Panda was a huge box-office hit, and for a good reason. It was funny, heartfelt, had gorgeous animation, and some pretty likable characters. What’s not to like about this movie? Well, apparently the movie actually got sued for copyright infringement. A guy named Jayme Gordon claimed that DreamWorks stole his characters and story for Kung Fu Panda.
The movie actually got sued for copyright infringement.
But not only did the lawsuit fail, but it was later revealed that while Gordon did create a story about pandas, it was actually nothing like Kung Fu Panda. He altered the artwork and story to look more like the movie in hopes of making and winning a lawsuit. And now the guy is being charged with fraud. That’s pretty crazy, though, and it is good that Po isn’t actually in any legal trouble.
13 Wait, What Happened To Gloria?!
Similar to Disney, DreamWorks likes to include little references in its movies to other movies. It’s a fun thing for fans to find if they’re paying attention. Some of these references are pretty harmless, but others are a bit. . . darker than you’d think. One reference is actually in How to Train Your Dragon.
Remember the scene where Hiccup and Astrid and Toothless are stuck in the mob of dragons as they bring their tributes to the queen? There’s one dragon that’s carrying a deceased hippo for its tribute. And it was Gloria, a little reference to Madagascar. See the problem is this reference means that Gloria somehow met her untimely end by dragon back in Viking times. Maybe it was one of her ancestors. Either way, that’s a terrible way to go.
12 Seriously, Who Is This Happy?
Trolls was actually a better movie than I thought it would be. It was rather colorful and fun movie, full of songs and some pretty fun characters. I mean, it’s a world of people that are just always singing, dancing, and hugging. But there’s a dark side to these happy trolls.
This world where everyone is supposed to be happy all the time is a little disturbing.
The problem as that the trolls expect everyone to be happy all the time. And when one isn’t happy, they kind of become an outcast; at least, that’s how Branch is introduced in the movie. But this issue never really gets addressed, Branch just becomes happy in the end and acts like nothing ever happens. This world where everyone is supposed to be happy all the time is a little disturbing when you think about it. I think I’d like to choose to be happy or unhappy, thank you.
11 Well, That Escalated Quickly
Bee Movie is a pretty weird movie in general. I mean, I think the whole movie was created to make as many puns surrounding bees as possible. Not to mention the really weird romance between Barry and Vanessa: a bee and a human. But that’s not the strangest and darkest thing about this movie.
Did you know that in the movie, there actually is a reference to life-ending? After Barry and Vanessa’s plans fall through, they’re sitting around pretty depressed. Barry then suggests they make a pact to end it all, and I think you know what that means. Seriously, how did this part get past the censors? Considering this movie was pretty strange, to begin with, this isn’t the weirdest thing to happen, but it’s certainly the darkest. Lighten up there a bit, Barry.
10 This Movie Really Wasn’t For Kids
Remember Antz? A lot of people probably remember it as the darker version of A Bug’s Life. And they’re not wrong. In many ways, Antz is a pretty dark movie. But I don’t think people realize just how dark this movie actually is, especially considering it was originally marketed to kids.
The movie probably should’ve been rated at PG-13.
In fact, a lot of people agreed that the movie probably should’ve been rated at PG-13. There’s a lot of violence, blood, harm, and destruction. Not to mention that the themes in the movie are pretty dark; there’s political corruption, massacre, and social unrest. While I don’t know that all of that warrants a PG-13 rating (especially since animated movies can get away with a lot more for some reason), it does show that the audience was meant for older teens and young adults.
9 Don’t Bring This Movie To Certain Countries
Prince of Egypt is one of DreamWorks more underrated films in my opinion. Everything about this movie is done incredibly well. The animation is absolutely gorgeous, the adaptation of the story is done rather well, and the development of the characters is fantastic. It’s truly an amazing film that deserves all the praise.
But not everybody likes this film. In fact, Prince of Egypt was banned in Indonesia for a long time and is currently banned in Malaysia and Egypt. The reason behind the ban is mostly due to religious reasons. The movie is highly religious and depicts an event that could be viewed as controversial. Religion is a pretty sensitive subject in these countries, so it does kind of make sense that they would ban this movie. It’s a shame though; the movie is really good.
8 Marty’s Got A Bad Mouth
For the most part, the animals in Madagascar keep it fairly clean when it comes to dialogue. Yeah, there’s the occasional innuendo joke and some crude humor, but they’re not too bad. But did you know that Marty actually swears in the first movie?
Marty actually swears in the first movie.
Well, he partially swears. There’s that moment when the characters are on Madagascar, and Alex and Marty are running toward each other. When Marty soon realizes that Alex is actually very angry at him, he spouts off the phrase, “oh, sugar honey iced tea!” and starts running away. So how is that swearing? Well, take the first letter of each word and you get an idea of what Marty was saying. I have to admit, it’s an impressive way to sneak a swear word past the censors.
7 He’s More Violent Than You Realize
The big conflict in How to Train Your Dragon is the fact that Hiccup is the one Viking who doesn’t actually want to end a dragon. He instead befriends them and more or less tames them. And while the Vikings initially think he’s crazy, they eventually follow in his footsteps and all become dragon riders.
But here’s the crazy thing. While the Vikings all talk about eliminating dragons, we never actually see anyone harm a dragon. In fact, the only Viking that is shown onscreen to end a dragon is Hiccup himself. He’s the one who goes up against the Red Death and together with Toothless, they destroy that monstrous dragon. That’s pretty ironic, that the only Viking who didn’t want to hurt dragons becomes the only Viking to end a dragon onscreen.
6 Yeah, That’s Not A Whale
Probably one of the most iconic scenes in Prince of Egypt is Moses parting the Red Sea for his people to get through. It’s a beautiful scene that actually took 2 years to animate (I’m not surprised with all that water.) During this scene, we see what looks like a giant whale swimming alongside the people walking through the sea.
There’s a good chance that was actually a giant shark.
But that’s actually not a whale. In fact, there’s a good chance that was actually a giant shark. For starters, the fish had a dorsal fin. There’s also the fact that this fish was moving its tail side to side like a shark, unlike whales who move their tails up and down to swim. What’s really dark about this is that after Moses brought the Red Sea crashing down on Pharaoh’s men, they probably got eaten by this huge shark.
