‘Shrek’ Returns for 20th Anniversary
Shrek Returns for 20th Anniversary
Mark your calendars, folks, because at the end of April, Shrek will be hitting the big screen once again in honor of the film’s 20th anniversary.
The classic film that was initially released in 2001 features a star-studded cast of Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy and Cameron Diaz – to name but a few – and follows the journey of an ogre and his donkey best friend as they set out to rescue Princess Fiona from the dangerous dragon guarding the tall tower in which she lives.
The reason for their quest is a bit of a long story, but basically, Shrek’s swamp is overrun by fairy tale creatures after Lord Farquad decides to banish the magical creatures. After trying to kill the ogre – and failing – he decides to send Shrek on a quest to rescue his bride-to-be so that he can finally become king. This obviously becomes a problem when Princess Fiona realizes that she has not been rescued by her true love and needs to wait three days before finally meeting him.
Shrek earned $480 million at box office and became an overnight sensation. This is largely due to the film’s ability to incorporate adult themes into a fairy tale movie.
Following the success of the original film, three sequels were created to follow in the success, and while they were able to earn a substantial return at the box office, they were never received with the same adoration as the original. There were talks of releasing another sequel, but the franchise had concerns about people being bored by the fairy tale movie.
Prepare for the re-release
It’s time to mark your calendars for April 25, 28 and 29 if you’re hoping to catch the re-release of Shrek. DreamWorks will also be releasing a 4K UHD version on home video in honor of the anniversary. It promises to be an event the whole family will enjoy – which was the vision behind its creation and one of the reasons for the film’s success.
This release follows the likes of the Toy Story franchise that re-released the first two movies in anticipation of Toy Story 3. The Incredibles was also re-released shortly before its sequel, The Incredibles 2. It also paves the way for re-releases of other Pixar movies as they build-up to their sequels.
Shrek’s legacy
While the other movies are as well-known as the thrill you get when you play horses today, they don’t measure up to Shrek’s impressive legacy: it has received an Oscar for Best Animated Feature and has even been inducted into the National Film Registry – the first non-Disney animated movie to do so. Although Shrek’s sequels were not nearly as adored ad the original, there are hopes that this re-release will spark interest in the franchise, pushing for audiences to revisit the sequels and reignite their love for the green ogre.
