IndyCar and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway today announced a partnership with DreamWorks Animation SKG for the company’s upcoming animated feature film “Turbo,” which is scheduled to be released on July 19, 2013. “Turbo” is the story of a garden snail’s dream to win the Indy 500. (IndyCar). DAILY VARIETY’s Stuart Levine notes the film is “directed by David Soren and co-starring voice-actors Ryan Reynolds, Samuel L. Jackson and Maya Rudolph.” The project shows IndyCar's entertainment division is “looking to expand its reach in Hollywood.” DreamWorks Animation CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg first approached IndyCar CEO Randy Bernard in ‘10 to “see how the two might join forces, and from that meeting the inclusion of the Indy 500 into the ‘Turbo’ script was born” (VARIETY.com, 3/12). SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL’s Tripp Mickle notes DreamWorks “cut a licensing agreement” with IndyCar and IMS to feature the race in the film and it also “plans to feature several IndyCar Series cars, drivers and sponsors.” In exchange for allowing DreamWorks to feature the race, IndyCar execs “expect to benefit from the exposure and marketing around the film.” DreamWorks is “expected to spend as much as $100 million marketing and promoting the film.” Driver Dario Franchitti is “a technical adviser for the movie” (SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL, 3/12 issue). Bernard said that DreamWorks “secured rights to use the racing group’s trademarked names and images by agreeing to buy an undisclosed amount of ad time on its broadcasts and at racing venues" (DEADLINE.com, 3/12).
