DREAMWORKS WILL PASS PIXAR, KATZ PREDICTS

DreamWorks Animation said Tuesday that it netted $24 million during the second quarter on revenue of $158.1 million from domestic and international sales for How to Train Your Dragon and Shrek Forever After. While the profit figure is down 6.2 percent from the same period a year ago, CEO Jeff Katzenberg observed during a conference call that the studio still has another release in the wings for 2010 — Megamind, which will debut on November 5. “We are on track to make 2010 not only DreamWorks Animation’s single biggest year at the box office, but also the biggest year ever for any CG animation studio,” he said, presumably referring to rival Pixar, which is owned by Katzenberg’s previous employer, Disney. During a conference call, Katzenberg, a leading booster of 3D in theaters, was asked about the prospects for 3D home video. “The horizons are longer,” he replied — noting that it probably won’t come into its own until it can be shown without glasses. When that happens, he said, “You’re looking at a much, much, much greater mass market.” Some analysts don’t expect glasses-free 3D TV to become a reality until 2015-2020.