Shrek, a 2001 American computer-animated fantasy film, is loosely based on William Steig’s 1990 fairy tale picture book of the same name. Directed by Andrew Adamson and Vicky Jenson in their directorial debut, the film features the voices of Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz, and John Lithgow. It cleverly parodies various children’s fantasy films, particularly animated Disney movies. The story follows an ogre named Shrek (voiced by Myers) who must reclaim his swamp from fairy tale creatures banished there by the evil Lord Farquaad (voiced by Lithgow). To regain his land, Shrek strikes a deal with Farquaad to bring him a queen in exchange for the deed to his swamp.
Accompanied by a talking Donkey (voiced by Murphy), Shrek embarks on a journey to find Princess Fiona (voiced by Diaz) for Farquaad. Along the way, Shrek develops feelings for Fiona and uncovers a shocking secret about her. Originally, Steven Spielberg bought the rights to Steig’s book in 1991 with the intention of creating a traditionally animated film. However, the project was later brought to DreamWorks in 1994 by John H. Williams, leading to its rapid development under Jeffrey Katzenberg after the studio acquired the rights in 1995.
Initially, Chris Farley was cast as Shrek’s voice and had recorded a significant portion of the dialogue before his passing in 1997. Mike Myers then took over the role, opting to portray the character with a Scottish accent. The film was initially planned to be motion-captured but was ultimately transformed into a complete computer-animated feature with the help of Pacific Data Images.
“Shrek” marked DreamWorks Animation as a strong competitor to Pixar in computer-generated films, grossing $484.4 million worldwide against a $60 million budget. It was praised for appealing to both adults and children, blending adult humor with a simple yet engaging plotline. The film won the first-ever Academy Award for Best Animated Feature and received several British Academy of Film awards nominations.
The film’s success led to three sequels, two holiday specials, and a spin-off movie. Despite the cancellation of a planned fifth film in 2009, it was revived in 2016 with a potential release in 2019/2020. Additionally, the franchise inspired various merchandise and adaptations, including video games, a stage musical, and a comic book series by Dark Horse Comics. In recognition of the character’s iconic status, Shrek was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in May 2010.
