Shrek is a 2001 American computer-animated fantasy film inspired loosely by William Steig’s 1990 fairy tale picture book of the same name. It was directed by Andrew Adamson and Vicky Jenson in their feature directorial debut. The film features the voices of Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz, and John Lithgow, and functions as a parody of various children’s fantasy films, particularly animated Disney classics.
The story centers on Shrek, an ogre voiced by Myers, whose swamp is overrun by banished fairy tale creatures, exiled there by the evil Lord Farquaad, voiced by Lithgow. To reclaim his swamp, Shrek strikes a deal with Farquaad to deliver a queen—Princess Fiona, voiced by Diaz—to marry him, in exchange for the deed to his land. Accompanied by a talkative Donkey, voiced by Murphy, Shrek embarks on a quest to find Fiona. Along the way, he begins to fall in love with her and uncovers a shocking secret.
The rights to Steig’s book were initially acquired by Steven Spielberg in 1991, before DreamWorks was founded. Spielberg considered adapting it into a traditional animated film but later encouraged DreamWorks to develop the project in 1994 when the studio was established. Jeffrey Katzenberg moved swiftly to put the film into production after DreamWorks purchased the rights in 1995.
Originally, Chris Farley was cast as Shrek and recorded approximately 80-90% of the dialogue. Unfortunately, Farley passed away in 1997 before completing his work. Mike Myers was then cast, initially recording in a Canadian accent, but after his first sessions, he decided to use a Scottish accent for the character. The film was initially planned to use motion capture technology, but due to unsatisfactory results, DreamWorks enlisted Pacific Data Images to help develop the film’s final computer-animated appearance.
Shrek established DreamWorks Animation as a major player in computer-generated feature films, rivaling Pixar, and grossed approximately $484.4 million worldwide against a $60 million production budget. The film was praised for its appeal to adult audiences, incorporating humor and themes suited for mature viewers, while maintaining a simple, family-friendly plot.
It won the first-ever Academy Award for Best Animated Feature and received a nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay. Additionally, it received six BAFTA nominations, ultimately winning the award for Best Adapted Screenplay. Eddie Murphy’s voice performance as Donkey earned him a BAFTA nomination for Best Supporting Actor.
The tremendous success of Shrek led to the creation of three sequels—Shrek 2 (2004), Shrek the Third (2007), and Shrek Forever After (2010)—as well as two holiday specials, Shrek the Halls (2007) and Scared Shrekless (2010). A spin-off film focusing on Puss in Boots was released in 2011. Although a fifth film was initially planned as the concluding chapter in 2009, the series was revived in 2016, with a new release slated for 2019 or 2020.
Beyond film, Shrek’s popularity inspired a range of merchandise, including video games, a stage musical, and a comic book adaptation by Dark Horse Comics. The character of Shrek was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in May 2010.
