Walt Dohrn, director of “Trolls: World Tour,” has signed a first look deal with DreamWorks Animation, the studio announced on Tuesday.
Dohrn, who also co-directed the first “Trolls” in 2016 with Mike Mitchell, will have an exclusive deal for original animated projects at the studio along with executive producing, directing, development and supervisory duties on various projects. “Trolls” grossed $346 million at the global box office and launched a new franchise for DreamWorks that led to a Netflix spinoff series and a feature sequel in “Trolls: World Tour,” which was released for premium home release due to the COVID-19 pandemic but which has reportedly grossed over $100 million in domestic sales.
“For over ten years, Walt has been a key part of the DreamWorks family,” DreamWorks Animation President Margie Cohn said in a statement. “His singular vision and sensibility is a part of our DNA and we’re happy to have his creative energy dedicated to both creating future DreamWorks franchises and mentoring the next generation of talent.”
Prior to directing the “Trolls” films, Dohrn built an extensive career at DreamWorks Animation that included working as Head of Story on “Peabody and Sherman” and “Shrek Forever After.” He also worked on story for DWA films like “Shrek 2,” “Shrek the Third,” “Madagascar,” and “Rise of the Guardians”; and has also played various roles in several of those films.
“DreamWorks has been my home for many years and I have such a tremendous amount of respect for all the artists who day-in and day-out continue to push creative boundaries in storytelling,” Dohrn said. “I am looking forward to sharing details about my next project and continuing my collaboration at the studio with Margie.”
Dohrn is repped by Andrew Cannava (UTA) and Todd Stern, Esq. The deal was first reported by Deadline.