Audio Video News

Don't look for Jerry Seinfeld's forthcoming Bee Movie on Blu-ray--at least, not for awhile. DreamWorks Animation can't release anything on Blu-ray yet, having been, ah, stung by an agreement signed with Toshiba. The 18-month exclusivity pact, which began last summer, obligates the studio to release on HD DVD in exchange for millions of promotional dollars.

"We have a partnership with Toshiba and have an obligation to see this through," DreamWorks CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg told Reuters. "As you know, we have been well-compensated for our support. It really is in their court at this point to really declare what the next step will be. We're poised either way to jump into the marketplace when the conditions are right to do so."

Please note that DreamWorks Animation SKG is separate from DreamWorks Pictures, a division of Paramount, which already is merrily redecorating in Blu, along with Universal.

Paramount and the non-animation arm of DreamWorks signed similar agreements but apparently the fine print in the DreamWorks Animation agreement was a little, well, finer. Katzenberg added wistfully: "We said, we have a release coming up on Bee Movie. What would you like us to do?"

Whether Katzenberg would be willing to return the millions of unearned dollars was not disclosed.

Update: DreamWorks Animation subsequently announced that it would end support for HD DVD, canceling previously announced releases of Bee Movie and Sweeney Todd, according to Video Business. That's not exactly the same as releasing in Blu-ray, but seems to be a step in that direction.