Shrek Forever After

Shrek Forever After
Official Logo
Directed byMike Mitchell
Written by
  • Josh Klausner
  • Darren Lemke
Based onShrek!
by William Steig
Produced by
  • Gina Shay
  • Teresa Cheng
Starring
CinematographyYong Duk Jhun
Edited byNick Fletcher
Music byHarry Gregson-Williams
Production
company
Distributed byParamount Pictures
Release dates
Running time
93 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$135–165 million
Box office$756.2 million

Shrek Forever After is a 2010 American computer animated comedy movie loosely based on the 1990 children's picture book Shrek! by William Steig and produced by DreamWorks Animation. Directed by Mike Mitchell, and written by Josh Klausner and Darren Lemke, it is the sequel to Shrek the Third (2007) and 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. A sequel named Shrek 5, is in development and set to be released on June 30, 2027.

Although intended to be the final film in the series, a fifth film currently titled Shrek 5 was announced in 2024 and is slated for release on June 30, 2027. Two spin-off films, Puss in Boots (2011) and Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (2022), have also been released, while a spin-off centered around Donkey is in development.

Plot

Shrek has gotten tired of being a family man and celebrity, missing the days when he was feared and had privacy. While celebrating his children's first birthday in Far Far Away, Shrek storms out in anger. He is invited inside Rumpelstiltskin's carriage. Rumpelstiltskin offers him a deal to live a day as a "real ogre" in exchange for a day from his childhood. Shrek signs a contract to get this wish, and is sent to another reality.

Now feared by the villagers in this new version of reality, Shrek has fun until he discovers that his swamp is deserted and his home is not there Captured by witches, Shrek is taken to Rumpelstiltskin, who is now the King. Rumpelstiltskin reveals to Shrek that he took the day he was born, meaning Shrek never existed in this timeline. This also means that Fiona was never rescued from her imprisonment. Shrek escapes Rumpelstiltskin's castle with Donkey.

Donkey helps Shrek find a hidden exit clause; the contract can be destroyed by "true love's kiss". The pair soon encounter a Fiona leading an army of ogres in a resistance against Rumpelstiltskin and the witches. Shrek unsuccessfully tries to kiss Fiona, who has since lost hope of finding true love after not being rescued, and is too busy preparing an ambush on Rumpelstiltskin.

During the ambush, most of the ogres are captured by the Pied Piper, who was hired by Rumpelstiltskin, but Shrek and Fiona escape with Puss in Boots and Donkey. Later on, Rumpel publicly offers a wish to anyone who brings him Shrek, and after hearing this, Shrek turns himself in. Rumpelstiltskin 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" (she turns into human during the day, as her curse was not stopped because she was never rescued). Donkey, Puss, and the freed ogres attack the castle and fight the witches.

As the sun rises, Shrek begins to fade from existence, but Fiona, having fallen in love with him, kisses him just before he disappears. Seeing that she is still an ogre in the sunlight, Fiona realizes that her curse was broken and that the true love's kiss worked. This also means that the contract has been destroyed. The alternate reality falls apart and everybody in it dies.

Shrek finds himself transported back to the original timeline at the moment before he left the party. Shrek embraces his family and friends with a newfound appreciation for them.

Notes

  1. 1 2 In July 2014, the film's distribution rights were purchased by DreamWorks Animation from Paramount Pictures and transferred to 20th Century Fox before reverting to Universal Pictures in 2018 following NBCUniversal's acquisition of DreamWorks Animation in 2016.
  2. ↑ Also known as Shrek 4, previously promoted as Shrek Goes Fourth and Shrek: The Final Chapter, and released on home media as Shrek Forever After: The Final Chapter.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Shrek Forever (2010) - Financial Information". The Numbers. Archived from the original on 29 January 2023. Retrieved 29 January 2023.
  2. 1 2 D'Arcy, David (22 April 2010). "Shrek Forever | Reviews". Screen Daily. Retrieved 29 May 2024.
  3. ↑ Goodman, Dean (23 May 2010). "UPDATE 1-'Shrek' sequel underperforms at box office". Reuters. Thomson Reuters. Archived from the original on 26 May 2010. Retrieved 16 August 2010. "Shrek Forever," with the voice cast including Michael Myers, Antonio Banderas, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz, cost about $135 million to make. Worldwide marketing costs will be about $165 million, Globe said.
  4. ↑ DiOrio, Carl (23 May 2010). "'Shrek' underwhelms but tops boxoffice". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on 1 July 2015. Retrieved 23 December 2014. Produced for an estimated $135 million,...
  5. ↑ "Shrek Forever After". Box Office Mojo. IMDb. Retrieved 16 February 2021.
  6. ↑ Sciretta, Peter (24 April 2010). "Has Shrek Forever Been Renamed Shrek: The Final Chapter?". /Film. Archived from the original on 14 August 2017. Retrieved 22 June 2017.
  7. ↑ Chney, Alexandra (29 July 2014). "DreamWorks Animation Q2 Earnings Fall Short of Estimates, SEC Investigation Revealed". Variety. Archived from the original on 12 August 2014. Retrieved 30 July 2014.
  8. ↑ Heath, Paul (7 September 2010). "Shrek Forever After becomes Dreamworks Animation's biggest release". The Hollywood News.
  9. ↑ Sciretta, Peter. "Has Shrek Forever After Been Renamed Shrek: The Final Chapter?". /Film. Retrieved 22 June 2017.