Shrek box office record downplayed

By Bob Tourtellotte

CANNES, France (Reuters) - Box offices are peaking, but with Hollywood's second major summer movie "Shrek the Third" debuting on Friday, one man is downplaying talk of record ticket sales for the film -- DreamWorks' chief Jeffrey Katzenberg.

"Shrek the Third" is DreamWorks Animation Inc.'s widely anticipated computer animated movie about the ugly green ogre who lives a fairy tale life, and its two predecessors have been smash hits raking in a total $1.4 billion around the world.

With the record $382 million global debut of "Spider-Man 3" two weeks ago and overall ticket sales up from the same point in 2006, anticipation is high that "Shrek the Third" might topple "Spidey 3" for the No. 1 opening weekend.

But Katzenberg, the DreamWorks movie studio's chief executive officer, thinks otherwise.

"I just caution everybody: for 'Shrek' it's not where we start, it's where we finish," Katzenberg told reporters at the Cannes Film Festival where he is promoting a new animated film, "Bee Movie," from comedian Jerry Seinfeld.

"I hope we have a very, very good weekend, but I don't expect us to set any records," Katzenberg added.

Along with producing the "Shrek" films, Katzenberg is the chief executive officer of DreamWorks Animation Inc, and that film studio has a lot riding on "Shrek's" success.

The series is the studio's key film franchise and along with ticket sales, the film generates hundreds of millions of dollars in DVD, TV, product licensing and other revenues.