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Shrek

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Shrek is a famous animated fantasy comedy film.

Mike Myers 2017 (37220071326) (cropped)
Mike Myers 2017 (37220071326) (cropped)

It tells the story of an ogre who loves his quiet life. Shrek lives in a swamp and enjoys being alone. His peaceful life changes when he meets a talkative Donkey.

Perry-miniature-donkey-in-Palo-Alto-CA-2016
Perry-miniature-donkey-in-Palo-Alto-CA-2016

They go on a journey to rescue Princess Fiona from a castle. The movie is a parody of other fairy tales. This means it pokes fun at many famous stories. It is loved by both children and adults for its humor.

Making the movie involved many different steps. At first, the creators thought about using motion capture. They later hired a company called Pacific Data Images to do computer animation. The artists looked at many real places for ideas. They visited places like Hearst Castle and Stratford upon Avon. One art director even visited a plantation in South Carolina. They wanted the swamp to feel very real. They even made over 100 sculptures of Princess Fiona to get her look right.

History shows that the project changed quite a bit. Steven Spielberg first bought the rights to the book in 1991. He wanted to make a traditional animated film. Later, John H. Williams helped move the project to DreamWorks Pictures. Development began in earnest in 1995. The story is loosely based on a 1990 book by William Steig. The writers spent two years working on the script. They wanted to make sure the characters felt consistent throughout the story.

There are many important facts about the production. The role of Shrek was originally meant for Chris Farley. He recorded most of his lines before he died in 1997. Mike Myers then took the role and added a Scottish accent.

Eddie Murphy by David Shankbone
Eddie Murphy by David Shankbone

Eddie Murphy provided the voice for the character Donkey. The film was released in the United States on May 18, 2001. It earned over $492 million from theaters around the world. It was the fourth highest-grossing film of that year.

Shrek has left a huge mark on the world of movies. It won the very first Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. It also became part of the National Film Registry in 2020. This is a special list for films that are important to history. The movie started a whole series of sequels and spin-offs. These include Shrek 2, Shrek the Third, and Puss in Boots. It helped DreamWorks Animation become a major rival to Pixar. Many people still call it one of the greatest animated films ever made.

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File:Perry-miniature-donkey-in-Palo-Alto-CA-2016.jpg
Perry-miniature-donkey-in-Palo-Alto-CA-2016.jpg
File:Mike Myers 2017 (37220071326) (cropped).jpg
Mike Myers 2017 (37220071326) (cropped).jpg
File:Eddie Murphy by David Shankbone.jpg
Eddie Murphy by David Shankbone.jpg
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