It’s gonna be champagne wishes and caviar dreams from now on!
According to Variety, DreamWorks Animation has started negotiating with the original cast members for Shrek 5.
Chris Meledandri, the founder of Illumination, had a recent talk with Variety where he hinted DreamWorks planning on developing the fifth Shrek instalment with the original cast, consisting of Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, and Cameron Diaz. He serves as one of the creative partners for DreamWorks.
While promoting Illumination’s upcoming project, The Super Mario Bros Movie, Meledandri confirmed that the negotiations with Shrek’s original cast members have commenced.
“We anticipate the cast coming back. Talks are starting now, and every indication that we’ve gotten is there’s tremendous enthusiasm on behalf of the actors to return,” he said.
Shrek is undoubtedly one of the most globally prominent animated franchises. The franchise has spawned four films: Shrek (2001), Shrek 2 (2004), Shrek The Third (2007), and Shrek Forever After (2010). Additionally, it has generated a highly dedicated fanbase over the years due to its unique blend of irreverent humor that appeals to children and adults and lovable characters like Shrek, Princess Fiona, and Donkey. The titular character is a crabby and misunderstood ogre who learns to accept others. On the other hand, his pal Donkey is a chatty creature who cannot stop himself from talking about any damn thing in the world. However, his loyalty and good heart outshine his garrulous persona. In addition, we have Princess Fiona, a strong female character who constantly defies conventional gender traditions. The franchise has grossed over $4 billion at the global box office.
The odds of the original cast returning for Shrek 5 are high as Eddie Murphy has already expressed his intentions about returning to the iconic animated franchise. Also, he believes Donkey should get his own spin-off project like Puss did last year, The Last Wish. This is what the actor said in January this year:
“If [DreamWorks] ever came with another ‘Shrek,’ I’d do it in two seconds. I love Donkey. They did ‘Puss in Boots’ movies. I was like, ‘They should have done a Donkey movie.’ Donkey is funnier than Puss in Boots. I mean, I love Puss in Boots, but he ain’t funny as the Donkey,” he said.
DreamWorks may announce the release date of Shrek 5 soon. Stay tuned for more updates.