shrek 3 Tagged Articles at Cinematical

Over on Deadline Hollywood Daily, Nikki Finke has a piece up about the anticipated weekend box office for Transformers that pretty much sums up why Hollywood's summer blockbusters (with some exceptions scattered here and there) tend to be so darn bad: because no matter how bad they are, and no matter how many critics write scathing reviews warning people how bad they are, audiences still flock to see them.

Transformers is a case in point: Finke notes that pretty much everyone on the planet expects the film to gross $125 million this weekend -- now stop a moment and ponder how many butts you have to put in seats to gross $125 million -- except for Paramount, which, according to Finke has back-pedaled to predicting a mere $100-125 million take.

That's a whole lot of moolah for a film about robots that disguise themselves as cars. To be fair, in spite of the fact that Cinematical's James Rocchi and Scott Weinberg thought the film was utterly wretched, it is sitting relatively pretty with a 60% fresh rating at Rotten Tomatoes (a surprising 69% from the Cream of the Crop), which isn't going to hurt the film's box office any, especially for those folks who are inclined to actually take a look at what critics are saying about a film before plunking down their cash for a $10 movie ticket and some snacks.

Way back in November, we brought you the very first look at the teaser poster for this summer's sure-to-be blockbuster Shrek the Third, and now we've got another first: the unveiling of the brand-spanking-new theatrical poster featuring more than just Shrek's ears and green crown-topped chrome dome. Double-click on the image below for a larger version.

The third installment in the lucrative CGI franchise finds King Harold (John Cleese) on his deathbed and Shrek (Mike Myers) and Fiona (Cameron Diaz) poised to ascend the throne of Far Far Away. But as you may have gathered from Shrek's expression in the above poster, ruling a kingdom isn't exactly in our ogre hero's wheelhouse -- so Shrek, Donkey (Eddie Murphy) and Puss in Boots (Antonio Banderas) set out on a quest to find the rightful heir to the throne: a rebellious teen named Artie, aka the once and future King Arthur, aka Diaz's erstwhile boyfriend Justin Timberlake. As Shrek, Donkey and Puss labor to bring 'Sexyback' to the kingdom, Fiona must defend Far Far Away from another coup attempt by the metrosexual Prince Charming (Rupert Everett). Shrek the Third barrels into theaters May 18.

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Look, I know everyone on earth who isn't me (which is a very large number of people) really likes the Shrek franchise. And that is okay, because I'm entitled to make the occasional poor decision when it comes to taste in movies, right? You are talking to the guy who liked Brothers Grimm, after all. We all know Dreamworks plans for Shrek 3 (and 4, and that Puss in Boots spin-off) to make a literal pile of money -- seriously, I heard they pile it up Uncle Scrooge style and swim it in during their holiday office parties -- and since we're drawing ever nearer to the release of Shrek 3, we're going to see a major advertising blitz.

Part one of said blitz is actually rather impressive, as the entire cast of the films (at least, all the important characters) has come together for a half hour television Christmas special. Yes, that's right, a Shrek Christmas special. And I want it known, the pun in the headline is not mine; it is actually the title of the television piece. I've actually come to a place where I'm okay with Shrek, but the following line from the president of ABC Entertainment just makes me weep: "Family classics are a cornerstone of our brand, and Shrek The Halls will provide warm memories year-after-year, and be a great addition to our library of holiday favorites such as Santa Claus is Comin' to Town and A Charlie Brown Christmas." I don't care if you all want Shrek for Christmas, but can't you at least give me a few years before you put it in the company of A Charlie Brown Christmas? Please?

A 10-year contract between Disney and McDonald's is about to expire ... and The Mouse House has no real interest in continuing the relationship. Yes, synergy-fans, sad but true: Mickey Mouse and Ronald McDonald are getting a divorce -- and you can thank all the fat little children they created together.

A recent (and rather excellent) article in the L.A. Times indicates that the New Disney (now with added Pixar!) wants nothing more to do with the deep-fried fat-making that's made McDonald's a corporation wealthy enough to purchase the sun. Thanks to people like Eric Schlosser (Fast Food Nation) and Morgan Spurlock (Super Size Me), the population of Earth seems to have (just now) realized that, hey, fast food is pretty rotten for your insides ... especially if you're a three-year-old kid who couldn't care less about nutrition but realllllly wants that stupid little plastic Narnia keychain.

Plus it looks like DreamWorks has signed a deal to hawk Shrek 3 under the Golden Arches, and one would assume Mickey doesn't exactly dig that relationship. DisneyCo will undoubtedly lose a very healthy revenue stream with this divorce, but it looks like Steve Jobs & Co. are looking to improve Disney's image just a bit ... and it's about time.

Right from the start, let me assure you that this is NOT an April Fool's joke, as much as you might want it to be: though Shrek 3 isn't even finished yet, things are already in motion for Shrek 4. Not only that, but there's also going to be FIFTH film featuring characters from the Shrek series, this one called (Ready? No, you're not. You could never be prepared for this.) Puss in Boots: The Story of an Ogre Killer. Seriously, that's really happening. According to an interview Antonio Banderas gave MTV last week, the Puss in Boots spinoff will be made between Shreks 3 and 4. Because apparently the world has an insatiable desire for all things Shrek - damn us and our weakness for even vaguely clever animated humor.

In addition to letting us know that we will never, ever be free of Shrek, Banderas also shared a little plot information on Shrek 4: apparently in that one he'll be voicing not only Puss in Boots, but also "his badass brother." Again, not a joke. What's his name going to be? Puss in Bowling Shoes? Puss the Gay Blade? (The latter, by the way, would totally get $10 from me - in case you're wondering, Dreamworks.)

[via The Movie Blog and Counting Down]

Okay, they can't be serious with this one: Shrek-back Mountain? For real? Actually, I'm not serious (am I ever?), the title for the highly anticipated third Shrek film will be Shrek the Third. As in, this will be the third Shrek film to make a killing at the box office. Probably the most exciting aspect of the new film is the fact that real life lovers Justin Timberlake and Cameron Diaz are both in it. Holy crap, I just had a brain freeze for no apparent reason. Go figure.

Shrek the Third will find Shrek and Fiona reigning over the kingdom after Fiona's dad dies. However, all they want to do is return to the swamp because, well, swamps are sexy. Needless to say, it becomes their mission to find a new King. While Shrek, Donkey and Puss search for an heir, Fiona stays put, attempting to deal with Prince Charming, who would like the kingdom to himself. Returning once again will be the voices of Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Julie Andrews, Rupert Everett and Antonio Banderas. Timberlake will be voicing Artie, a young King Arthur. Shrek the Third is set to hit theaters on May 18th, 2007.