DreamWorks Animation Delaying ‘Bureau of Otherwordly Operations’

DreamWorks Animation will be taking animated tentpole B.O.O.: Bureau of Otherwordly Operations off the summer 2015 calendar, according to sources.

No new date has been determined, leaving Jeffrey Katzenberg‘s company with two releases next year, Home (March 27) and Kung Fu Panda 3 (Dec. 23), unless B.O.O. opens in the fall.

“Animated features are our most valuable assets and we regularly evaluate how to maximize their value, including determining the most opportune time to release a film,” a DWA spokesperson said regarding any decision to move B.O.O.

Read more DreamWorks Animation and Hasbro End Merger Talks (Exclusive)

B.O.O. revolves around a top-secret government agency that  employs ghosts to protect humans from being haunted. When the agency itself comes under attack, two new recruits set out to save the day.

The decision to push back the movie’s release, first reported by The Los Angeles Times, comes as DWA ponders its fate after two unsuccessful attempts to sell. Last week, merger talks fell through with Hasbro, while talks collapsed in September with Japanese giant Softbank.

On Monday, shares of DWA fell 14 percent based on news that talks with Hasbro have ended, mirroring the rise the stock enjoyed when news of those discussions first surfaced.