‘Shrek’s’ Cost Hard to Calculate

Like most animated films, the exact cost of DreamWorks’ “Shrek” is difficult to calculate. That’s true even for the studio producing it because animation studios often work on more than one project at a time.

DreamWorks officially acknowledges “Shrek’s” cost to be $48 million to $50 million. That doesn’t include the cost of a couple of false starts on the film with other computer animation techniques, as well as carrying costs for a years-long gestation period.

The $60-million cost estimate in The Times’ chart, therefore, is just that. The total expenditures charged against the movie actually may be higher. But with no profit participants and a bonanza awaiting the film in the home video, DVD and foreign markets, “Shrek” looks to be the most profitable movie in the fledgling studio’s history.