Shrek to Set Fourth in 2010
Good things come in threesóor in Shrek’s case, every three years.
With Shrek the Third gobbling up more than $720 million in worldwide ticket sales since being unleashed in May, DreamWorks Animation and Paramount Pictures have penciled in May 21, 2010, as the release date for the fourth adventure of the not so jolly green giant and his fairy-tale friends.
Shortly after the latest installment debuted, DreamWorks cochair Jeffrey Katzenberg confirmed plans for not only a fourth, tentatively titled The Next Shrek, but a fifth Shrek, now slated for 2013.
The principal voicesóincluding Mike Myers as the lovable ogre, Cameron Diaz as Princess Fiona, Eddie Murphy as sidekick Donkey and Antonio Banderas as Puss in Bootsóare all expected back for the sequels.
May has proven a lucky month for Shrek and Co..
The original hit theaters in May 2001 and went on to win the inaugural Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. All told, the first three entries in the irreverent ‘toon franchise have grossed more than $2.1 billion worldwide.
Shrek the Third scored a $121.6 million opening weekend, the third largest of all time and the biggest debut ever for an animated film. The CGI film has tallied $320 million domestically and $400 million internationally; it remains in release.
So far, DreamWorks and Paramount’s rivals aren’t challenging the May 21 date for any of their big summer tentpoles. Then again, it’s three years awayóthe average time it takes to shepherd a Shrek tale from storyboard to screen.
To make sure the ogre and pals remain in the public consciousness, DreamWorks is teaming with ABC on Shrek the Halls, a half-hour animated holiday special featuring Myers, Diaz, Murphy and Banderas. It’s scheduled to premiere, of course, in December.
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