shrek 4 Tagged Articles at Cinematical

Folks weren't leaping over one another to take in the latest Shrek entry (although I kind of dug it), but that certainly won't stop Dreamworks Animation SKG from shoveling out at least two more films. We already know that plans for a Shrek 4 are in the works (set to be released in 2010), but will that mark the end of our lovable green ogre? Studio chief Jeffrey Katzenberg announced at the Allen & Co. media conference that work on a fifth and final chapter will begin after the fourth is released. Rich Sullivan, a Dreamworks Animation spokesman, added: "The story itself has five chapters. Based on the success of the first three films, at the very least, the next one, Shrek 4, is warranted."

This is all rather interesting, as Katzenberg (according to a story in The Hollywood Reporter this past May) always envisioned Shrek as a four-part package, with the fourth (and final?) film telling an origin story. So where did this mysterious fifth film come from? In the month and a half since Shrek the Third hit theaters, has Katzenberg changed his mind? Did he confuse the numbers? Because Sullivan said the story has five chapters, not four. Now I'm confused. I could understand not ending the series with an "origin story," because that would just be weird. Instead, they'll probably use the origin thing to set up a fifth and final film. But "does Shrek need an origin story," asked our own Scott Weinberg back when that story first hit the net. "He's a freakin' ogre. Is there some fascinating back-story about how he came to live in a swamp?" I sure hope so! If you were in charge, where would you take the Shrek franchise from here? Should they stop at three, or are you willing to give them another chance with four ... and five?

Later this month we're getting our next helping of the green, health-promoting ogre, the parfait-loving donkey, the bubbly Fiona and the cute yet sneaky Puss in Boots. But time is a-ticking and to keep up with this Shrek-every-three-years schedule, DreamWorks is already gearing up for Shrek 4 to come out in 2010. In March, Christopher Campbell shared that the next sequel will be in 3D, as part of DreamWorks' plan to only release features with the extra dimension as of 2009. Tim Sullivan has already penned a script for the sequel, which has also gotten a rewrite by Josh Klausner, scribe of the horror film The 4th Floor.

Speeding ahead, The Hollywood Reporter has announced that Mike Mitchell is currently in negotiations to direct the next installment. The director has a varied, but applicable resume for the task -- he helmed the original Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo, some television animation like an episode of SpongeBob SquarePants and my personal favorite -- the superhero high school movie, Sky High. I'd rather see him tackle a sequel for Will Stronghold, but Shrek's got a lot more box office power out there -- after the first film got an impressive gross of $484.4 million worldwide, the second did almost doubly well with $920.7 million. Whether the next two sequels do as well, that remains to be seen. I'm just wondering how long this franchise will continue. Will we get Shrek 9 in 2025? It's been Mike Myers' main gig for years now, so I wouldn't be entirely surprised.

Before I share this news with you, I feel I should admit up front that I don't really get the Shrek franchise. Okay, it was kinda clever, and it made me chuckle a few times, but it certainly didn't blow me away. So if my lack of enthusiasm for the following news is obvious, that is probably why. Nonetheless, I do continue to applaud the existence of successful "family" oriented flicks. Even if I don't get some of them, I'm glad they exist.

Two bits of Shrek related news came out of the third quarter 2006 earnings report from DreamWorks. First, Shrek 4 is definitely still on the way, but it'll take awhile before we see it -- summer of 2010 is the current target. Yes, this means most of the original child audience for the Shrek line will have grown significantly, but hey, the film obviously appeals to far more than just children. And I can always hope the new generation will have moved on to other fads and Shrek 4 will be the last of the franchise, right? Wrong. After Shrek 4 we get the Puss in Boots movie, which is no longer expected to be a DVD release between Shrek 3 and Shrek 4, but rather a theatric release sometime after Shrek 4. Of course, all these plans are subject to change dependent on the success of the third Shrek film next year, which already seems to be trying to commit suicide by casting Justin Timberlake.