They were all fairly substantial hits in their day, but the Shrek franchise has only gotten more and more powerful with time, as the kids who grew up watching the movies became nostalgic for the adventures of Shrek, Donkey, and Fiona, and turned the series into fodder for endless online memes. And in a movie landscape dominated by legacyquels and franchise revivals, it looks like Shrek is getting ready to make a comeback.
In fact, according to Illumination’s Chris Meledandri, talks are underway to reunite the original cast of Shrek for a new film. That would be the fifth Shrek overall, and the first since 2010’s Shrek Forever After. (In the interim, there have been two spinoffs starring Antonio Banderas’ Puss in Boots; the second, Puss in Boots: The Last Wish became a major hit in theaters over the holidays last year.)
Meledandri told Variety that while it’s not an officially done deal yet, he expects the movie to happen with the familiar Shrek voices. As he put it…
We anticipate the cast coming back. Talks are starting now, and every indication that we’ve gotten is there’s tremendous enthusiasm on behalf of the actors to return.
DreamWorks AnimationDreamWorks Animation
READ MORE: Eddie Murphy Would Love to Do a New Shrek
The core Shrek cast includes Mike Myers as Shrek, Cameron Diaz as Fiona, and Eddie Murphy as Donkey. Most of these stars have not been shy about their desire to return for a new movie. Mike Myers recently said he’d love to do a Shrek a year. Eddie Murphy was enthusiastic about the idea of a Shrek 5 or a spinoff focused entirely on Donkey. (“They did Puss in Boots movies. I was like, ‘They should have did a Donkey movie! Donkey is funnier than Puss in Boots!’ I love Puss in Boots, but he ain’t as funny as the Donkey,” Murphy told a reporter earlier this year.)
Meledandri did say to Variety that Murphy’s comments are “evidence of his strong enthusiasm for a role that he so brilliantly inhabited and really created alongside the artists at DreamWorks. I found that comment to be very exciting.” So get those Shrek memes ready guys; you’re going to need way more of them in the future.
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