How Well Do You Know Shrek?

Shrek: A Summary

• Shrek is a 2001 American computer-animated fantasy comedy film loosely based on the 1990 children's picture book of the same name by William Steig.

• It was directed by Andrew Adamson and Vicky Jenson and written by Ted Elliott, Terry Rossio, Joe Stillman, and Roger S. H. Schulman.

• The film stars Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz, and John Lithgow.

• Shrek is an embittered ogre who finds his home in the swamp overrun by fairy tale creatures banished by the obsessive ruler Lord Farquaad.

• With the help of Donkey, Shrek makes a pact with Farquaad to rescue Princess Fiona in exchange for regaining control of his swamp.

• Shrek premiered at the Mann Village Theatre In Westwood, and was later shown at the 2001 Cannes Film Festival, where it competed for the Palme d'Or, making it the first animated film since Disney's Peter Pan (1953) to be chosen to do so.

• The film grossed over $491 million worldwide, becoming the fourth highest-grossing film of 2001.

• Shrek was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay and won for Best Animated Feature. It earned six nominations at the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA), winning for Best Adapted Screenplay.

• The film's success helped establish DreamWorks Animation as a competitor to Pixar in feature film computer animation.

• Three sequels have been released—Shrek 2 (2004), Shrek the Third (2007), and Shrek Forever After (2010)—along with two spin-off films—Puss in Boots (2011) and Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (2022)—and other productions in the Shrek franchise.

• The United States Library of Congress selected Shrek for preservation in the National Film Registry in 2020.

• Shrek was initially intended to be created using motion capture, but after poor test results, the studio hired Pacific Data Images to complete the final computer animation.Summary Title: Shrek: A Breakthrough in Animation

• Shrek was completed in 2000 and has 31 sequences with 1,288 total shots.

• The film includes 36 separate in-film locations, making it more than any previous computer-animated feature.

• Shrek introduced a new element of using pop music and other Oldies to make the story more forward.

• The film made massive popularity with the band Smash Mouth’s song "All Star" being used in the opening credits.

• The film's ending was modified to "go out with a big laugh" and they added a song "I'm a Believer" covered by Smash Mouth and show all the fairytale creatures in the film.

• The film references classic movies, predominantly those by Disney, such as Peter Pan, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Beauty and the Beast, and The Matrix.

• The film was released on video the same day that Pixar's Monsters, Inc. hit theaters, and it became the biggest selling DVD at the time with over 5.5 million sales.

• The film has an approval rating of 88% based on 210 professional reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, with an average rating of 7.8/10.

• Shrek earned $11.6 million on its first day and $42.3 million on its opening weekend, topping the box office for the weekend and averaging $11,805 from 3,587 theaters.

• The film grossed $267.7 million domestically, along with $216.7 million overseas, for a worldwide total of $484.4 million.

• Shrek became the highest-grossing animated film ever to be released in Australia, passing the mark set by The Lion King in 1994.

• William Steig, the author of the original book, and his wife Jeanne Steig enjoyed the film, stating "We all went sort of expecting to hate it, thinking, 'What has Hollywood done to it?' But we loved it."Summary Title: Shrek's Reception and Impact on Pop Culture

• Shrek is a Monty Python-like children's movie, with witty dialogue and sassy performances by vocally charismatic actors.

• The film complicates the traditional roles of beauty and beast, making it hard to guess how the story will end.

• Shrek won the first-ever Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, and was nominated for six BAFTA Awards, winning Best Adapted Screenplay.

• Shrek has been ranked highly in numerous polls, including being the eighth best film in the animated genre by the American Film Institute.

• Shrek had a significant impact on mainstream animated films, leading to more pop culture references and end-film musical numbers.

• The film inspired several computer animated films that spoofed fairy tales and other related story genres, but were not nearly as successful.

• Shrek has been adapted into several video games, a comic book series, and a Broadway musical that won the 2009 Tony Award for Best Costume Design.

• A fan remake of Shrek titled Shrek Retold was released in 2018, featuring a collaboration of 200 filmmakers using various art forms to recreate the film.

• Three sequels were released, with Shrek 2 being the only one to receive similar acclaim from critics.

• A spin-off prequel film entitled Puss in Boots was released in 2011, with a sequel released in 2022.

• A fifth Shrek film was originally planned, but the idea was later abandoned by DreamWorks Animation CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg.

• While a script was completed for a fifth Shrek film, development stalled and future plans have yet to be officially announced.