Shrek Forever After
Shrek Forever After is a 2010 American animated fantasy comedy film loosely based on the 1990 children's picture book Shrek! by William Steig. Directed by Mike Mitchell, and written by Josh Klausner and Darren Lemke, it is the fourth installment in the Shrek franchise. The film stars Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz, Antonio Banderas, Julie Andrews, and John Cleese reprising their voice roles from the previous films, with Walt Dohrn joining the cast. The story follows Shrek, now a domesticated family man and local celebrity, longing for his days of solitude and being feared, leading him to make a magic deal with the deceitful imp Rumpelstiltskin, which creates grave consequences.
Shrek Forever After premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival on April 21, 2010, and was theatrically released by Paramount Pictures in the United States on May 21. The film received mixed reviews from critics and grossed $756 million, becoming the fifth-highest-grossing film of 2010.
Although intended to be the final film in the series, a fifth film is in development. Two spin-off films, Puss in Boots and Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, have also been released, while a spin-off centered around Donkey is in development.
Plot
Years ago, King Harold and Queen Lillian lost hope of their daughter, Princess Fiona, being freed from her curse after so many years of her being at the Dragon's Keep. Despite their deal with Fairy Godmother, they go to Rumpelstiltskin for help. He has a magical contract that will seemingly lift the curse if they give him the Kingdom of Far Far Away, but when Harold is about to sign it, a messenger reveals that Fiona has been rescued by Shrek. Ever since, Rumpelstiltskin has held a grudge against Shrek for ruining his plan.In the present, Shrek has grown tired of being a family man and a celebrity, longing for the days when he was feared and had privacy. While he is celebrating his children's first birthday in Far Far Away, a series of mishaps leaves Shrek so angry that he storms out in a rage and lashes out at Fiona. Having witnessed the outburst, Rumpel follows Shrek into the forest and stages a scene of being in distress, prompting Shrek to help.
Invited inside Rumpel's carriage, Shrek laments that he is no longer a "real ogre". Rumpel offers him a deal to receive a day as a "real ogre" in exchange for a day from his childhood being erased. Shrek signs a contract fulfilling this wish, and is whisked away into an alternate reality.
Now feared by villagers, Shrek causes some mischief until he discovers that Fiona is a fugitive and his swamp is deserted and desolate. Captured by witches, Shrek is taken to Rumpel, who is now the king of a dystopian Far Far Away. Rumpel reveals to Shrek that he had erased the day Shrek was born, meaning he never existed in this altered timeline. Consequently, Harold and Lillian signed the contract with Rumpel, which caused them to disappear, and he became the ruler. When the day ends, Shrek will cease to exist.
Shrek escapes Rumpel's castle with Donkey, who is initially terrified of Shrek but befriends him after seeing him cry over his erased history. Donkey helps Shrek find a hidden exit clause; the contract can be nullified by "true love's kiss". The pair soon encounter a still-cursed Fiona leading an army of ogres in a resistance against Rumpel, and a lazy and overweight Puss in Boots being kept as Fiona's pet. Shrek unsuccessfully tries to woo Fiona, who has since lost hope of finding true love after not being rescued, and is too busy preparing an ambush on Rumpel. Puss encourages Shrek to continue pursuing Fiona.
During the ambush, most of the ogres are captured by the Pied Piper, who was hired by Rumpel, but Shrek and Fiona escape with Puss and Donkey. Shrek insists that Fiona kiss him, assuring her that it will fix everything; she reluctantly obliges, but nothing happens, realizing that only a true love's kiss can break it. Later on, Rumpel publicly offers a wish to anyone who brings him Shrek, and after hearing this, Shrek turns himself in.
Rumpel is forced to grant Shrek's wish, and he uses it to free the other ogres. As Shrek is locked up, Rumpel reveals that Fiona had been captured and not released, since she is not "all ogre". Rumpel attempts to execute Shrek and Fiona with the enslaved Dragon, but Donkey, Puss, and the freed ogres storm the castle; they capture Rumpel and defeat his witch army, while Shrek and Fiona neutralize Dragon.
As the sun rises, Shrek begins to fade from existence, but Fiona, having fallen in love with him, kisses him before he disappears. Seeing that she is still an ogre in the sunlight, Fiona realizes that her curse was broken and that she has assumed "love's true form". The alternate reality disintegrates, and Shrek finds himself transported back to the original timeline at the moment before he lost his temper at the party. Instead of lashing out, Shrek embraces his family and friends with a newfound appreciation for them. Later, Shrek hosts a party in his swamp with his friends, family, and the other ogres, with an imprisoned Rumpel in attendance.
Voice cast
- Mike Myers as Shrek
- Eddie Murphy as Donkey
- Cameron Diaz as Princess Fiona
- Antonio Banderas as Puss in Boots
- Walt Dohrn as Rumpelstiltskin
- Jon Hamm as Brogan the Ogre
- Jane Lynch as Gretched the Ogre
- Craig Robinson as Cookie the Ogre
- Lake Bell as Patrol Witch, Wagon Witch No. 2
- Kathy Griffin as Dancing Witch, Wagon Witch No. 1
- Mary Kay Place as Witch Guard No. 1
- Kristen Schaal as Pumpkin Witch, Palace Witch
- Julie Andrews as Queen Lillian
- John Cleese as King Harold
- Conrad Vernon as Gingerbread Man
- Aron Warner as Wolf
- Christopher Knights as Blind Mice
- Cody Cameron as Pinocchio, Three Pigs
- Dante James Hauser as Fergus
- Chris Miller as Magic Mirror, Geppetto
- Billie Hayes as Cackling Witch
- Meredith Vieira as Broomsy Witch
- Jeremy Steig as Pied Piper
- Larry King as Doris the Ugly Stepsister
- Regis Philbin as Mabel the Ugly Stepsister
- Mike Mitchell as Witch Guard No. 2, Butter Pants
- Ryan Seacrest as Father of Butter Pants
Production
In October 2007, Katzenberg announced a title for the fourth film, Shrek Goes Fourth, explaining that "Shrek goes out into the world, forth!"
In May 2009, DreamWorks Animation retitled the film to Shrek Forever After.
In November 2009, Bill Damaschke, head of creative production at DreamWorks Animation, confirmed with "All that was loved about Shrek in the first film is brought to the final film". The film included many tributes to the original Shrek film such as Shrek asking the villagers to run away or Princess Fiona blowing up a bird with her singing as well as some to the second film like Puss in Boots facing Shrek for the first time, as it was the crew's intention to sum up all the other Shrek films with Shrek Forever After to make it the last film.
Tim Sullivan was hired to write the script in March 2005, but was later replaced by Darren Lemke and Josh Klausner. Klausner, about the script's evolution, said, "When I first came onto the project, it wasn't supposed to be the final chapter—there were originally going to be 5 Shrek movies. Then, about a year into the development, Jeffrey Katzenberg decided that the story that we'd come up with was the right way for Shrek's journey to end, which was incredibly flattering." In May 2007, shortly before the release of the third film, it was announced Mike Mitchell would be on board to direct the new installment. Mitchell felt the influence of It's a Wonderful Life within the film's plot, but made sure to rather homage the storytelling over parodying it, embracing the concept that Shrek isn't the same ogre he was at the start of the original film.
Much of the film was written and recorded in New York City.