DreamWorks Partners with Netflix to Create ‘Turbo’ Spinoff

Netflix is one of the internet’s leaders in streaming video, and has recently been very active in an attempt to diversify its instant streaming offerings.  A deal between Disney and Netflix was announced in December 2012 and will see Netflix carrying all Disney films on Netflix instant streaming by 2016.

More action from Netflix was announced yesterday: according to The New York Times, Netflix will offer an original animated television series based off DreamWorks’ upcoming film: Turbo.  The series is expected to be available by December 2013.

The feature film Turbo is due out in the US on July 19, 2013.  This movie will be the first original summer release from DreamWorks since How to Train Your Dragon in 2010 which was a box office and critical success.  The plot synopsis for Turbo is:

Turbo is an ordinary garden snail with an impossible dream: to become
the fastest snail in the world. When a freak accident gives him
extraordinary speed, Turbo sets out to try to make his dream come
true.

The spinoff show will be titled Turbo: F.A.S.T., which stands for Fast
Action Stunt Team. The announcement of the show is a bit of a gamble from both companies,
hinging on the success of the feature at the box office. The announcement of the show also
comes just one week after DreamWorks announcement that its CGI adaptation of Mr. Peabody and
Sherman was being bumped to 2014. It seemed that things were not looking well for
DreamWorks upon making this announcement and rumors of layoffs of up to 25% of their
animation staff.

However, people seem to have faith in DreamWorks because after the announcement of
the Turbo series, stock prices for the studio rose by over 2 percent. Also reassuring for the
company is their past successes with TV shows and specials based on feature films which
include Kung Fu Panda, Madagascar, and How to Train Your Dragon. DreamWorks has plans
to diversify their offerings by offering more animation on TV, which is less of a financial risk
than feature films. It seems that with the acquisition of Classic Media last year, DreamWorks is
planning to have its own television station in the future.

This seems like a safe move for both Netflix and DreamWorks, as the series will not have
much pressure to attract viewers like a TV or feature film would. Also, after the release of the
underwhelming teaser trailer for Turbo, it does not appear that this series will be any sort of
major excitement for animation fans.