DreamWorks Animation said it will release a dozen films through the middle of 2016, including sequels to "How to Train Your Dragon" and "Kung Fu Panda" and a spin-off from its "Madagascar" franchise.

That means the studio will release three films on average instead of its usual two. The announcement comes a month after DreamWorks Animation said it had signed a distribution deal with Twentieth Century Fox, officially ending its pact with previous distributor Paramount Pictures.

Some of the titles have been previously announced, including "The Croods," which focuses on a pre-historic family of cavemen and will be released on March 22, 2013, as well as "Turbo," which centers on a snail who wants to become a race car driver and hits theaters on July 19, 2013. 

Other films include "Mr. Peabody & Sherman" about a super-smart dog (opening Nov. 1, 2013), "Me and My Shadow," about an adventure-loving shadow (March 14, 2014), "Happy Smekday!" about an optimistic alien who must save the galaxy (Nov. 26, 2014), and "B.O.O.: Bureau of Otherworldly Operations," which centers on ghosts and other paranormal favorites (Nov. 6, 2015).

The films "Mumbai Musical," a retelling of the Indian epic tale of The Ramayana, and "Trolls,"about the popular Troll dolls, have only working titles. "Mumbai Musical" is slated to open on Dec. 19, 2015 and "Trolls" on June 5, 2015.

Sequels and spin-offs include "Kung Fu Panda 3," opening March 18, 2016, "How to Train Your Dragon 2" for June 20, 2014, "How to Train Your Dragon 3" for June 18, 2016, and "The Penguins of Madagascar" for March 27, 2015.

The challenge for Fox will be balancing the onslaught of DreamWorks Animation releases with the films of its in-house animation unit, Blue Sky.  Among the studio's upcoming films are a sequel to "Rio" and "Epic,"  the story of a teenage girl transported to a secret universe.