The latest on the Hollywood grapevine is that family and dank meme favourite Shrek is coming up for a reboot
Shrek started life as a picture book, Shrek!, which was adapted into a film in 2001. That film, entitled Shrek, was a monster success, spawning a sequel, Shrek 2.
This was followed by two more films, Shrek the Third and Shrek Forever After. There were then two spin-off movies focused on Puss in Boots, the sassy cat voiced by Antonio Banderas. Eight Shrek shorts were produced between 2001 and 2012.
Two television specials and two television series based on Shrek characters have been made. Shrek has his own London-based interactive tour. A staggering 29 Shrek video games exist. There was a fucking Shrek musical in 2008.
There is enough Shrek in the world. We don’t need any more Shrek. And yet, it seems that Hollywood is planning to press ‘restart’ on this big green nightmare by rebooting the franchise.
According to Variety, both Shrek and Puss in Boots are going to be brought back. Chris Meledandri, producer and owner of Illumination, the studio that gave us the Despicable Me films, is overseeing the reboot.
Speaking about the reboot, Meledandri said that while he’s been tasked with finding new approaches and stories to bring Shrek back, he’s not going to mess with the voices.
“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 producer explained.
“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.”
A challenge indeed. It’s difficult to imagine a world in which there is any appetite left for Shrek and Shrek-related goods, but Meledandri believes that there is an opportunity there.
“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,” he said. “You want to find something in the narrative that really feels like a departure.”
Shrek in Space – confirmed.
