Why DreamWorks' lowest-grossing film became a unique experiment in remote animation production
In short: Spirit Untamed, a 2021 reboot of the Spirit franchise, stands out as a financial outlier for DreamWorks Animation. Produced entirely remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic, the film utilized a specialized animation pipeline outside the studio's main Glendale hub, marking a distinct shift in how the company approaches smaller-budget animated projects.
Released in June 2021, Spirit Untamed serves as a soft reboot of the 2002 classic Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron. While it shares the franchise's titular mustang, the film focuses on the character of Lucky Prescott, drawing inspiration from the Netflix series Spirit Riding Free. Despite its connection to established intellectual property, the film struggled at the box office, grossing $42.7 million worldwide against a $30 million budget. This performance made it the studio's cheapest and lowest-grossing theatrical release to date.
The production process was notable for its unconventional structure. DreamWorks shifted the workload away from its primary Glendale studio, partnering with Jellyfish Pictures—a studio that had previously worked on How to Train Your Dragon: Homecoming—to handle the bulk of the animation. The team employed a hybrid aesthetic, blending 3D models with a hand-painted visual style reminiscent of the television series. This process involved creating 3D maquettes from 2D drawings, with additional support from 88 Pictures and model rigging by Minimo VFX. The entire effort was coordinated remotely as the pandemic forced a global shift in workplace operations.
Critical reception was mixed, with reviewers divided on the film's artistic merits. While some critics praised the vibrant color palette and the refreshing focus on a female-led Western narrative, others felt the character of Spirit lacked the depth and complexity of his original iteration. Despite the lukewarm critical consensus, the film maintained a strong connection with its target audience, earning an 'A' grade from CinemaScore. The project also broke ground musically, as Amie Doherty became the first woman to compose a score for a DreamWorks feature film, further distinguishing the production within the studio's history.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Spirit Untamed
- Also: Wikidata — Spirit Untamed · CC0
- Also: Wikidata — Spirit Untamed (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) · CC0
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