Sit down to watch The Peacemaker, and you will see something historic less than 30 seconds into the film: the logo of Dreamworks SKG. Never before has it been attached to a film, for The Peacemaker marks Dreamworks' debut.
The studio 'tag' that opens a movie is rarely of much interest to the average movie-goer, but this is an exception. Dreamworks SKG is not only the first new Hollywood movie studio in decades, but an entertainment 'dream team' - the partnership of Steven Spielberg (S), former Disney Studios chief Jeffrey Katzenberg (K) and music mogul David Geffen (G).
The Dreamworks tag pictures a boy fishing off the horn of a crescent moon, suspended in clouds. So when we sit down with Walter Parks and Laurie McDonald, the co-heads of the company's movie division Dreamworks Pictures, we asked the obvious question: what is the boy fishing for? 'A good idea!' laughs Parks. Wife and producing partner McDonald agrees: 'A good idea. It all comes down to this.' When Spielberg, Katzenberg and Geffen announced their partnership in October 1994, Dreamworks SKG seemed like the best idea of all. The three had a spectacular record of success and a great deal of money to spend - an irresistible combination in Hollywood.
However it has been far from plain sailing for their company. Plans for a modern studio complex have been stalled by environmental concerns. The first offerings from Dreamworks Television have struggled to find an audience.
Many producers have (anonymously) called the company a disappointment, though in fairness, that may reflect Dreamworks' desire to restrain costs - and producer fees.
Now, though, three years after Dreamworks SKG was announced, The Peacemaker has arrived and movie-goers can begin to make up their own minds.
The film opens with a daring, James Bond-style train robbery in Russia. Rogue officers steal nine nuclear warheads, intending to sell them to the highest bidder, and cover their tracks by setting off a nuclear blast.
