Shrek (franchise)
A grouchy ogre's adventures in a fairy tale world.
Shrek is a DreamWorks Animation franchise that started with William Steig's 1990 picture book *Shrek!*. The stories follow a grumpy ogre named Shrek, who reluctantly takes on a job to save a princess, and along the way makes friends and gets caught up in more adventures set in a fairy-tale world.
The franchise has four main animated movies: *Shrek* (2001), *Shrek 2* (2004), *Shrek the Third* (2007), and *Shrek Forever After* (2010). A fifth film, *Shrek 5*, is being made and is scheduled for June 2027. There is also a short 4-D film, *Shrek 4-D*, which started as a theme park ride and came out in 2003. Two TV specials exist: the Christmas special *Shrek the Halls* (2007) and the Halloween special *Scared Shrekless* (2010). Two spin-off movies focus on the character Puss in Boots: one in 2011 and a sequel, *The Last Wish*, in 2022. A stage musical version ran on Broadway from 2008 to 2010.
In May 2010, *The New York Times* praised the main Shrek characters as "brilliantly realized" and noted that, nearly a decade after the first film, they remained "as vital and engaging fusions of image, personality, and voice as any characters in the history of animation." Financially, the series has been very successful, ranking as the 18th highest-grossing film franchise ever, the second highest-grossing animated franchise, and one of the highest-grossing media franchises overall.
Quick Facts
- Title
- Shrek
- Creator
- Ted Elliott / Terry Rossio / Joe Stillman / Roger S. H. Schulman
- Origin
- Shrek (2001)
- Based On
- Shrek! · William Steig
- Tv
- The Adventures of Puss in Boots (2015–2018)
- Tv Specials
- Shrek the Halls (2007) / Scared Shrekless (2010)
- Musicals
- Shrek the Musical (2008)
- Soundtracks
- List of songs featured in Shrek
- Years
- 2001–present
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The franchise began with Shrek (2001), in which the solitary ogre Shrek, angered by fairy tale creatures sent to his swamp by Lord Farquaad, befriends a talking donkey named Donkey. They rescue Princess Fiona from a dragon, and Shrek falls in love with her; Fiona's curse is broken by true love's kiss, turning her permanently into an ogre. Shrek 2 (2004) follows Shrek and Fiona's visit to the land of Far Far Away, where the Fairy Godmother and Prince Charming try to break up their marriage; Shrek and Donkey drink a love potion, temporarily becoming human and a horse. Shrek the Third (2007) sees Shrek and Fiona reluctantly ruling Far Far Away while searching for Fiona's cousin Artie to be king; Fiona reveals she is pregnant, and the film ends with the birth of ogre triplets. Shrek Forever After (2010) finds Shrek longing for his old ogre life; he is tricked by Rumpelstiltskin into trading a day from his childhood, leading to an alternate reality where he must win Fiona's love to undo the deal.
Reader's Guide
The Shrek franchise is a financial success, becoming the 18th highest-grossing film franchise of all time, the second highest-grossing animated franchise, and one of the highest-grossing media franchises of all time. In May 2010, The New York Times described the principal characters as 'brilliantly realized' and said 'nearly a decade after the first Shrek film they remain as vital and engaging fusions of image, personality, and voice as any characters in the history of animation.' The franchise includes two spin-off films centered on Puss in Boots: Puss in Boots (2011) and Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (2022). A stage musical adaptation played on Broadway for more than a year (2008–2010). A fifth main film, Shrek 5, is currently in production for a June 2027 release, and a spin-off prequel film revolving around Donkey has been revealed to be in development.
Did You Know?
- The franchise is based on William Steig's 1990 picture book Shrek!.
- A short 4-D film, Shrek 4-D, originally a theme park ride, was released in 2003.
- Two television specials were produced: Shrek the Halls (2007) and Scared Shrekless (2010).
- The stage musical adaptation played on Broadway from 2008 to 2010.
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