This Time, the Audience Will Not Be Listening ... to Shrek

One casualty of the Disney-DreamWorks animation battle may have been a few seconds of footage featuring Shrek playing the bagpipes and Donkey playing the accordion. It was part of a new trailer promoting THX, the venerable sound system owned by George Lucas and used in more than 2,500 theaters across America.

Last June, DreamWorks pitched THX the idea of using the “Shrek” characters in a new trailer. “THX seemed extremely excited by the idea and continued to be excited and enthusiastic until a week and a half ago,” said DreamWorks marketing chief Terry Press.

According to DreamWorks, this is when “Monsters, Inc.” producer Pixar and its corporate partner, Disney, caught wind of the completed trailer, which would have played before “Monsters, Inc.” and several holiday films. DreamWorks says that Disney threatened to pull all its business from THX, which also oversees audio and video for DVDs, unless the promotional item was canceled. Said Press, “This was confirmed to us by Disney.”

Disney, however, denied the allegation. A Pixar spokesman said, “We don’t know anything about this.”

Monica Dashwood, general manager of THX, who both initiated and canceled the trailer, says, after reflection, that she simply decided it was better for THX not to be “particularly tied to any one film project or film. We’re about film presentation in theaters. In hindsight, in deviating with that main goal, I decided not to continue with the project.” She said she doesn’t know anything about the alleged Disney threat.

Lucas is also negotiating with Disney to attach thetrailer for “Star Wars: Episode II--Attack of the Clones,” a Fox release, to “Monsters, Inc.” Studios usually prefer to attach their own trailers to their movies.

Still, a ranking Disney executive was dismissive about DreamWorks’ claims. “I know our friends at DreamWorks would love to blame us for everything.”