Having made nearly $3 billion at the global box office, one can easily make the argument that the Shrek franchise has had more than its fair share of success - but it seems that we have not seen the last of the titular green ogre. This is because Antonio Banderas has hinted that the Mike Myers-voiced character could show up in the forthcoming Puss In Boots sequel, Puss In Boots 2: Nine Lives and Forty Thieves.
Banderas was recently a guest on the Empire podcast, and it was there that the actor hinted at the return of Shrek to the big screen. It was while discussing Puss In Boots 2 that he shared some behind the scenes info from DreamWorks Animation, telling the show hosts that he had heard some rumors that his feline character would reunite with the green monster in his next adventure. Asked for his thoughts on that idea, the actor exclaimed in his Puss-In-Boots voice,
Shrek doing a cameo… in MY movie? Uh, huh! Yeah, I’d like that.
DreamWorks Animation has been in a lot of trouble in recent years, and the last quarter of 2014 actually saw the company lose $247 million. This was partially because of the dull box office performance of Penguins of Madagascar, but a big problem for them has also been delaying productions (Puss In Boots 2: Nine Lives & Forty Thieves is one of these projects). In order to try and fix their problems, one solution that the company has implemented is a stronger focus on franchise films. Obviously, Shrek is one of their most popular of all time, so it would make sense for them to bring him back in this time of crisis.
If Shrek does make his way back to the big screen, there might be a bit of hemming and hawing about the fact that the ogre's last movie, Shrek Forever After, was heavily advertised as being "the final chapter" for the franchise.
Then again, DreamWorks Animation probably didn't anticipate their profits' downward trajectory back in 2010.
Antonio Banderas may be talking big about Puss In Boots 2: Nine Lives & Forty Thieves now, but the truth of the matter is that it's going to be a pretty long time until we actually get to see the movie - and the reappearance of Shrek. DreamWorks Animation isn't planning to have the film in theaters until December 21, 2018, which feels pretty far away in Hollywood terms. Still, we'll be following it as it develops.
