Shrek is a computer-animated fantasy film released in 2001, loosely adapted from William Steig’s 1990 fairy tale picture book of the same name. Directed by Andrew Adamson and Vicky Jenson in their debut, the film features the voices of Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz, and John Lithgow. It serves, in part, as a parody of other animated children's fantasy films, especially those produced by Disney. The story centers around Shrek, an ogre voiced by Myers, whose swamp is overtaken by fairy tale creatures banished there by the sinister Lord Farquaad, voiced by Lithgow. To reclaim his swamp, Shrek strikes a bargain with Farquaad, agreeing to rescue Princess Fiona, voiced by Diaz, so Farquaad can marry her. Accompanied by a talkative Donkey, voiced by Murphy, Shrek embarks on his quest and discovers that Fiona harbors a surprising secret. The rights to William Steig’s book were initially acquired by Steven Spielberg in 1991, before DreamWorks was founded, as part of his plan to produce a traditional animated adaptation. In 1994, John H. Williams persuaded Spielberg to bring the project to DreamWorks, which was officially established that year. Jeffrey Katzenberg then prioritized development of the film after DreamWorks purchased the rights in 1995. Originally, Chris Farley was cast as Shrek and had recorded approximately 80-90% of the dialogue before his untimely death in 1997. Subsequently, Mike Myers took over; after his first recording session, he adopted a Scottish accent for the character. Initially, the filmmakers considered using motion capture technology, but poor results led them to collaborate with Pacific Data Images to achieve the film’s final computer-animated look. Shrek significantly boosted DreamWorks Animation’s reputation, positioning it as a major competitor to Pixar. The film grossed approximately $484.4 million worldwide against a production budget of $60 million, earning widespread acclaim for its appeal to both adults and children. Its humor includes many jokes and themes aimed at mature audiences, while maintaining a simple plot and accessible humor for younger viewers. Shrek made history as the first animated film to win the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature and was also nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay. It received six BAFTA nominations, with Eddie Murphy earning a BAFTA Award for Best Supporting Actor for his voice performance as Donkey, and the screenplay won the 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)—as well as two holiday specials, Shrek the Halls (2007) and Scared Shrekless (2010). Additionally, an offshoot, Puss in Boots, was released in 2011. Although a fifth film was planned as the series finale, it was canceled in 2009, with the fourth film intended to conclude the franchise. However, development of the fifth installment was revived in 2016 for release around 2019 or 2020. Shrek’s popularity also spurred a wide range of merchandise, including video games, a theatrical musical, and a comic book adaptation by Dark Horse Comics. The character of Shrek was honored with his own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in May 2010.
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