DreamWorks Classics, formerly known as Classic Media, is an entertainment company owned by DreamWorks Animation, through Universal Studios. Aside from owning the entire Big Idea library (VeggieTales, 3-2-1 Penguins, and LarryBoy: The Cartoon Adventures), they also own several different retro properties, including Mr. Magoo, Rocky and Bullwinkle, The Lone Ranger, Felix the Cat, and half of the Rankin/Bass library.
History[]
The company was founded as Classic Media in May 2000, by Eric Ellenbogen and John Engelman, for the purpose of purchasing the properties of the United Productions of America (Mr. Magoo, Dick Tracy, Gerald McBoing Boing, etc.), which had recently been shut down. Since then, Classic Media purchased several different company libraries, including the Harvey Entertainment (Casper the Friendly Ghost, Richie Rich, etc.) and the Golden Books Entertainment (pre-1974 Rankin/Bass catalog, Lamb Chop, etc.).
On October 31, 2003, Classic Media won an auction to buy out Big Idea Productions, which had recently gone bankrupt, for $19.3 million. Shortly after, they made a new company called Big Idea, Inc., which would continue the production of VeggieTales videos. On July 15, 2004, Classic Media re-located Big Idea, and their employees (minus Phil Vischer) to Franklin, Tennessee.
In January 2007, Classic Media was purchased by Entertainment Rights, therefore sticking the caption "An Entertainment Rights group Company" under their logo. This went for Big Idea as well. In April 2009, Boomerang Media (founded by Eric Ellenbogen and John Engelman) purchased the Entertainment Rights library (as well as the Classic Media library), and re-branded the company as Classic Media.
On July 23, 2012, DreamWorks Animation purchased Classic Media for $155 million, and re-branded the company as DreamWorks Classics. Because DreamWorks now owned the rights to VeggieTales, they announced in March 2014 that they would be making a redesigned spin-off called VeggieTales in the House.
In August 2016, Universal Studios purchased DreamWorks Animation, and in turn, DreamWorks Classics, for $3.8 billion, purchasing Big Idea alongside.
Around 2019, NBCUniversal reinstated the Classic Media name, and appointed Eric Ellenbogen as co-president. Despite still owning the VeggieTales property, Classic Media is not involved in The VeggieTales Show.
Projects Big Idea produced when Classic Media was...[]
Independent[]
- A Snoodle's Tale
- Sumo of the Opera
- Bob and Larry's How to Draw!
- Duke and the Great Pie War
- Minnesota Cuke and the Search for Samson's Hairbrush
- Lord of the Beans
- Sheerluck Holmes and the Golden Ruler
- LarryBoy and the Bad Apple
- VeggieTales on TV (season 1 only)
- Gideon: Tuba Warrior
- Moe and the Big Exit
Purchased by Entertainment Rights[]
- God Made You Special
- VeggieTales on TV (seasons 2-3)
- 3-2-1 Penguins! (TV revival)
- The Wonderful Wizard of Ha's
- The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything: A VeggieTales Movie
- Lessons from the Sock Drawer
- Tomato Sawyer and Huckleberry Larry's Big River Rescue
- Abe and the Amazing Promise
Purchased by Boomerang Media[]
- Minnesota Cuke and the Search for Noah's Umbrella
- Saint Nicholas: A Story of Joyful Giving
- Silly Little Thing Called Love
- Pistachio - The Little Boy That Woodn't
- Sweetpea Beauty
- It's a Meaningful Life
- Happy Together!
- Twas The Night Before Easter
- Princess and the Popstar
- Larry Learns to Listen
- Bob Lends a Helping...Hand?
- The Little Drummer Boy
- God Loves You Very Much
- If I Sang A Silly Song
- Robin Good and His Not-So-Merry Men
- The Penniless Princess
- The League of Incredible Vegetables
Purchased by DreamWorks Animation[]
- Little Ones Can Do Big Things Too!
- Lettuce Love One Another!
- The Little House That Stood
- MacLarry and the Stinky Cheese Battle
- Merry Larry and the True Light of Christmas
- Veggies in Space: The Fennel Frontier
- Celery Night Fever
- Beauty and the Beet
- VeggieTales in the House
- Noah's Ark
Purchased by Universal Pictures[]
Logo History[]
