Good Times at DWA

I wandered around DreamWorks Animation after my 401(k) meetings there today, and a DreamWorks veteran mentioned:

"We did a couple of test screenings, in Long Beach I think, of How To Train Your Dragon, and they went really well. Jeffrey doesn't want to change a thing ..."

That snippet tracks this:

DreamWorks Animation SKG Inc. ... edged up after Jefferies said it likes the company's 2010 films and expects a bigger contribution from the newly released Monsters Vs. Aliens DVD. The firm boosted its 2010 earnings target to $2.50 from $2.35 and 2011 forecast to $2.90 from $2.70. The Street consensus sees 2010 at $2.27. And Jefferies, while reiterating its buy rating, also said lower film costs and successful holiday television specials help make DreamWorks Animation an attractive acquisition candidate ...

The business press keeps harping on this "acquisition" thing. On a slightly different subject, another DreamWorksian informed me:

"The studio staff just had a big presentation of all the features we're doing for the next two years. It happened over at the Alex theater in Glendale, it was supposed to go from 8:30 to 11:00 and it went on until after 1:00.

"Most everybody is really impressed with the stuff that's coming down the pike. And it feels good to know we've got jobs going forward. That's sort of reassuring ..."

All in all, the mood at the Glendale campus appears to be upbeat.