Released in 2001, *Shrek* is an American computer-animated fantasy film that draws loose inspiration from William Steig’s 1990 fairy tale picture book of the same name. Directed by Andrew Adamson and Vicky Jenson—marking their debut as feature film directors—the movie features voices by Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz, and John Lithgow. It functions as a parody of popular films adapted from children’s fantasy stories, particularly animated Disney classics.
The story centers on Shrek, an ogre voiced by Myers, whose swamp becomes overrun with banished fairy tale creatures sent there by the villainous Lord Farquaad, voiced by Lithgow. To reclaim his home, Shrek strikes a deal with Farquaad to deliver a princess—Princess Fiona, voiced by Diaz—in exchange for the deed to his swamp. Accompanied by a talkative donkey, voiced by Murphy, Shrek embarks on his quest and eventually discovers Fiona, with whom he initially intends to deliver to Farquaad. Along the way, Shrek begins to develop feelings for Fiona and uncovers a surprising secret about her.
The rights to Steig’s book were initially acquired by Steven Spielberg in 1991, prior to DreamWorks’ founding, when he considered producing a traditionally animated adaptation. In 1994, John H. Williams persuaded Spielberg to transfer the rights to DreamWorks upon its establishment, and Jeffrey Katzenberg quickly commenced active development of the project after its rights were acquired in 1995. Originally, Chris Farley was cast as Shrek, recording approximately 80–90% of his lines before his untimely death in 1997. Subsequently, Mike Myers was cast and, after his initial recordings, opted to portray Shrek with a Scottish accent. Initially, the film was slated to feature motion capture technology; however, due to unsatisfactory results, Pacific Data Images was brought on board to help refine the film’s computer-animated look.
*Shrek* established DreamWorks Animation as a serious competitor to Pixar in the realm of feature-length CGI films, grossing $484.4 million globally against a production cost of $60 million. The film was widely praised for its appeal to adult audiences through its humor and themes while maintaining a simple and accessible story that children could enjoy. It made history by winning the inaugural Academy Award for Best Animated Feature and received a nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay. Furthermore, it garnered six BAFTA nominations, including Best Actor in a Supporting Role for Eddie Murphy’s performance as Donkey, and won the BAFTA Award for Best Adapted Screenplay.
The film’s success led to the creation of three sequels—*Shrek 2* (2004), *Shrek the Third* (2007), and *Shrek Forever After* (2010)—alongside two holiday specials, *Shrek the Halls* (2007) and *Scared Shrekless* (2010). It also inspired a spin-off, *Puss in Boots* (2011). Although a fifth *Shrek* film was initially planned as the concluding chapter of the series and canceled in 2009, it was revived in 2016 with a potential release around 2019 or 2020.
Beyond its cinematic success, *Shrek* inspired a broad range of merchandise, including video games, a stage musical, and a comic book series published by Dark Horse Comics. In recognition of its impact, the character of Shrek received his own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in May 2010.
