Once upon a time, Shrek was one of the most popular animated franchises in the world. What started out as a cinematic adaptation of the children's book Shrek! by William Steig turned into a pop culture heavy-hitter that led to sequels, short films, TV specials and even a spinoff film for Puss in Boots. Today, it's been announced that like so many properties before it, the Shrek franchise is getting the reboot treatment from Universal Pictures.
This time around, it's Chris Meledandri, the producer of the Despicable Me franchise, that's overseeing these new versions of Shrek and Puss in Boots. As reported by Variety, Universal has taken Meledandri with finding "some fresh story lines" to reintroduce the ogre and his supporting cast to new generations of moviegoers. However, unlike traditional reboots, which start from scratch and bring aboard new actors, Meledandri doesn't want to mess with Shrek's cast and would like to bring back Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz and Antonio Banderas, among others. Meledandri explained:
When you look back on those vocal performances they're awesome, and while you certainly could make a case for a complete reinvention, I find myself responding to my own nostalgic feelings of wanting to go back to those characterizations. The challenge for us has been to find something that really does feel like it's not simply yet another film in a series of sequels.
While there have been instances of an actor playing the same character within two different continuities of a franchise (Judi Dench as M in the James Bond movies, for example), usually the term 'reboot' means putting a new spin on an existing property and ignoring what came before. Chris Meledandri's comment makes it sound like he wants it both ways with Shrek; to have the original voice cast return, but to also make sure this new movie can be enjoyed as a standalone tale rather than be looked at as Shrek 5.
New of a Shrek reboot comes two years after Universal's parent company, Comcast, bought Dreamworks Animation, which counts Shrek among its properties, for $3.8 billion. Chris Meledandri is just getting started figuring out how to handle the Shrek reboot, but the producer noted that it's only a matter of time before we get to revisit this fairy tale world. As he put it:
There's a tremendous amount of fun to be had in that world, but it's a high bar to find a story that's truly world. You want to find something in the narrative that really feels like a departure.
Chris Meledandri also added that after Dreamworks Pictures was purchased by Universal, he was given the opportunity to oversee Dreamworks Entertainment. However, because Meledandri is already keeping busy enough as the CEO of Illumination Entertainment (which he founded), he decided to he wouldn't have been able to manage two companies and maintain the same level of quality, so he didn't snag that particular job.
It's been over a decade since Shrek 5 was announced. After Shrek 2's release in 2004, Dreamworks' Jeffrey Katzenberg stated that the Shrek franchise had been outlined as a five-movie story since the first movie was being developed, and Shrek 5 was intended to be released in 2013. However, in 2009, Shrek 4, later titled Shrek Forever After, was deemed to be the final Shrek movie, thus resulting in Shrek 5 been scrapped.
Shrek Forever After came out in 2010, and while it was a box office hit, making over $752 million worldwide off a budget between $135-$165 million, it earned mixed critical reception. The fourthquel saw Shrek signing a contract drafted by the nefarious Rumpelstiltskin and living in an alternate reality where Shrek was never born. By the end of the movie, Shrek no longer felt like he needed to live like a "real ogre" again, and after being transported back to his reality, he embraced the life he'd made with his family friends.
For several years, it looked like Shrek Forever After would remain the final story in the Shrek franchise, but then talk of Shrek 5 resumed in 2014 when Jeffrey Katzenberg hinted that the project could still become a reality. In 2016, NBCUniversal chief Steve Burke mentioned that there were talks in motion to revive the Shrek franchise, and a year later, Michael McCullers, who was hired to write Shrek 5, said that the movie would be much different than its predecessors.
It's unclear if Chris Meledandri is using any or all of Michael McCullers' script, or if he's wiped the proverbial board clean and envisioning a new version of Shrek, but either way, it's looking likelier than ever that Shrek and his pals will be returning to the big screen. Whether or not this "reboot" will actually just be a standalone sequel or if it will actually interpret these characters through a new lens remains to be seen.
But let's also not forget Puss in Boots! The swashbuckling cat was introduced in Shrek 2 and stuck around for the other sequels, but then in 2011, he starred in his own spinoff, which chronicled one of his pre-Shrek 2 adventures. The Puss in Boots movie made $555 million worldwide off a $130 million budget and earned a lot of positive reviews.
With a performance like that, it's no wonder a sequel, eventually titled Puss in Boots 2: Nine Lives & 40 Thieves, got the green light, and after originally being dated for November 2, 2018, it was pushed to December 21, 2018. However, by January 2015, Puss in Boots 2 was removed from the release schedule to to behind-the-scenes restructuring, and since then there haven't been any major updates about it. Like with Shrek, we don't know with 100% certainty yet if this new Puss in Boots movie will actually just be the long-awaited sequel or a true reboot, though I imagine that there are plenty of people who would prefer Antonio Banderas reprising the feline fencer.
Stay tuned to CinemaBlend for more updates on the return of the Shrek franchise. In the meantime, you can find out what's heading to theaters next year by looking through our 2018 and 2019 release schedules.
Finding Steve McQueen looks like a positively weird and wild ride. It's always fun when you're watching a trailer that feels absurd and is populated with ridiculous characters only to find out that this isn't entirely the product of a deranged mind, but actually has some basis in fact.
Finding Steve McQueen Trailer Is Quirky And Wild - 247
The Flash movie has already lost two directors, but now it looks like the new candidates for helming the Scarlet Speedster's adventure have been found.
See What Sebastian Stan Could Look Like As DC's Riddler
Avengers: Infinity War has finally screened for audiences, and CinemaBlend was in attendance to get a first look. Of course, with this premiere screening out of the way, it begs one very important
'Avengers: Endgame' Has Screened: Here are the First
New 'Avengers: Endgame' trailer teases rematch between Thanos and Avengers Captain Marvel pilots a ship carrying Thor, Black Widow, Captain America, Rocket and War Machine, where they'll
New 'Avengers: Endgame' Trailer Reunites Captain America and
Disney and Lucasfilm kicking Phil Lord and Chris Miller off Solo: A Star Wars Story was one of the most boneheaded decisions a studio has made in years. Lord and Miller were on an incredible hot
Solo: A Star Wars Story screenwriter Jonathan Kasdan reveals
The Best Comedy Movies of 2019 The Best Movies of 2019 (So Far) The Year's Most Anticipated Films The Best Action Movies of 2019 The Highest Grossing Movies of 2019, Ranked The Best Animal Movies of 2019 What's Coming Soon on Netflix The Best 2019 Biographical Films Have You Even Seen These Movie Trailers Yet?
Funniest TV Shows of 2019, Ranked: Best Comedy TV Series of
People Still Yell Bangarang At Hook's Dante Basco Every
Rotten Tomatoes is making some big changes with movies that haven't been released yet. Subscribe To Rotten Tomatoes Is Changing Its Pre-Release Function For Audience Score Updates close
Rotten Tomatoes Is Changing Its Pre-Release Function For
How Karen Allen Feels About Scrooged Becoming A Christmas Classic
'Avengers: Infinity War' Directors Explain 'Being Able to Introduce' Captain Marvel (Exclusive) By John Boone 8:30 AM PDT, April 23, 2018 Marvel Studios / Insert by Jesse Grant/Getty Images for
How Captain Marvel Can Be Introduced In Avengers: Endgame
The addition of Kyle Rayner in Green Lantern Corps would be exciting for tons of fans, and Zac Efron could certainly pull off the look- along with already having some impressive acting chops. Mizuri has brought about an intriguing idea for the movie in the works, though it's unclear if Kyle Rayner is among consideration in Green Lantern Corps.
This Is What Zac Efron Could Look Like As Green Lantern
The Fascinating Reason Black And Orange Are The Colors Of Halloween But they rang in the new year a little differently than we do now. Now, when you see halloweens's signature hues on
Ugly Christmas Sneakers Are the New Ugly Christmas Sweaters
mentalfloss.com/article/566325/ugly-christmas-sweater-themed-sneakers-brooks
The ugly Christmas sweater shoes are available in men's and women's sizes We don't have two Thanksgivings, two Halloweens, or even two National Hot Dog Days. It helps to know how the June
What to Wear on Christmas Day - Jo-Lynne Shane
John Cho is back in action as Sulu in Star Trek Beyond, and the stakes are personal this time for the heroic Enterprise helmsman.(Possible spoiler ahead, folks!). The lives of Sulu's partner and their daughter -- along with those of many, many other people -- hang in the balance as Sulu and the Enterprise crew race to prevent the alien Krall (Idris Elba) from carrying out his dark plan.
Simon Pegg Unsure About Tarantino Star Trek Film, John Cho
Warner Bros. Partners with Michael B. Jordan to Become First Major Hollywood Studio to Adopt 'Inclusion Rider' the future we have been working toward, together. This is a legacy-bearing
Michael B. Jordan Takes the Lead in New Warner Bros
New Bumblebee Video Reveals First Look At Cliffjumper And
halloween movie streaming
if looks could kill movie streaming
movie streaming mobile
best sites for movie streaming reddit
nonton dear nathan full movie streaming
us movie streaming
movie streaming with chromecast
movie streaming free online
good will hunting free movie streaming
movie streaming malaysia
popcorn movie streaming
movie streaming dates
mary queen of scots movie streaming
xfinity movie streaming
movie streaming api
hong kong movie streaming
free movie streaming sites
is this movie streaming
movie streaming box for tv
what does movie streaming mean
movie streaming check
would you rather movie online streaming
the best free movie streaming sites 2018
xbox one movie streaming sites 2019
new movie streaming free
top 5 movie streaming sites
movie streaming sites new zealand
does movie streaming count as download limit
movie streaming wordpress theme
movie streaming providers
where are the best movie streaming sites
danur 2 full movie streaming
movie streaming firestick
the best movie streaming service
xbox movie streaming
movie streaming keeps stopping
movie streaming ubuntu
do you believe movie streaming
marvel movie streaming
movie streaming apps for roku
pitch perfect 3 full movie streaming
rampage full movie streaming
movie streaming vumoo
moonlight movie streaming
columbus movie streaming
shame movie streaming
movie streaming cinema
worst movie streaming online
disney movie streaming service
best movie streaming now
malayalam movie streaming
list of movie streaming sites
movie streaming kaleidoscope
streaming movie kingsman
quiet place movie streaming
rabbit movie streaming
movie streaming on firestick
indian movie streaming
movie streaming web
sully movie streaming
movie streaming sites free
movie streaming zgemma
movie streaming vf
nonton si doel the movie streaming
movie streaming apps xbox
equalizer 2 full movie streaming
movie streaming buffering
is vice movie streaming
exodus movie streaming
yify movie streaming
movie streaming programs
movie streaming live
movie streaming gift card
top 10 movie streaming sites 2018
movie streaming korea
mobile movie streaming
that was then this is now movie streaming
movie streaming online sites
quality movie streaming sites
why did i get married full movie streaming
best free movie streaming sites uk
dilan full movie streaming
would i lie to you streaming french movie
movie streaming market
xbox one movie streaming sites 2018
movie streaming kanopy
indonesian movie streaming online
where is stree movie streaming
movie streaming endgame
movie streaming networks
movie streaming no ads
is movie streaming illegal in germany
venom movie streaming
does disney have a movie streaming service
is a movie streaming online
movie streaming github
one two jaga full movie streaming
hd movie streaming free
movie streaming platforms free
movie streaming platforms
elf movie streaming
movie streaming guide
the worst movie ever streaming
movie streaming sites 2019
movie streaming vostfr
jumanji 2017 full movie streaming
movie streaming kingsman 2
streaming movie zero
movie streaming for android
movie streaming royalties
qismat movie streaming
movie streaming directory
your name movie streaming
free movie streaming yahoo answers
zulu movie streaming
movie streaming app
john wick 2 full movie streaming
movie streaming unblocked
who will write our history movie streaming
movie streaming online for free
harry potter movie streaming
movie streaming websites 2019
will you be there movie streaming
is us movie streaming
vibes movie streaming
go movie streaming
malay movie streaming
best free movie streaming sites 2018
movie streaming apps reddit
movie streaming monthly subscription
how does amazon movie streaming work
kickass movie streaming
top 20 movie streaming sites
network movie streaming
best movie streaming
uncle drew movie streaming
how to watch movie streaming
can we still be friends movie streaming
danur full movie streaming
free movie streaming yidio
movie streaming indoxxi
movie streaming new zealand
#watchtattoo #TVSHow #blacksocialmedia #Movies #watchnerds #watchos4 #funnytime #americanflag #Filmametitrashqip #blackqueen #WatchRoss #melaninmagic #watchenthusiasts #watchphoto #fireworks #america #blackhistory365 #Filma24 #blackbusiness #Filma #CASAMXhostales #Zgerdhiu #blacksuccess #watchthemoonrise #blackiflix #murica #watchpornid #blavity #moviesstreaming #filmlover #firecrackers #WatchUsRise #movieaddict #slay #watchquiz #getsome #watchbrandname #Seriale #watchhill #filmyorumu #watchfamily #watchuswork #sandrabullock #watchluxus #watchblogger #watchmaniac #fourthofjuly #FreeMovies #Qesh #netflix #hostales #HostalCASAMXalameda #watchmvmt #birdbox #Serialemetitrashqip #saladetv #blackenterprise #watchwomen #netflixturkiye #watchestyle #WatchJunkie #watchingthesunset #blacktech #watchswag #tvroomdesign #blackking #watchful #watchdose #filmtavsiyesi #filmizle #socialstreaming #holiday #putitinreverseterry #watchalert #SomosTuConexi #independenceday #watchcrazy #bff #watchcandy #filmography #merica
