Shrek 4, Puss in Boots news
Mike Mitchell Negotiating to Direct Shrek 4
(Source: movies.aol.com, www.hollywoodreporter.com, www.comingsoon.net, www.people.com)
The guys at DreamWorks Animation are most likely wondering if Shrek the Third can meet or beat Spider-Man 3's record-blasting weekend ($59 million on its first day, $148 million on its first weekend). In order to give it the old college try, the studio is ramping up the coverage to get the ticket-buyers who made the previous Shrek movies such moneymakers salivating for this installment. With that in mind, here are just a few of the Shrek-bits you can find around the Interweb.
AOL managed to get their hands on the latest (and likely last) Shrek the Third trailer. While the timing of this thing is a little unusual (do we really need a recap of the previous flicks?), there are some new tidbits for the viewer. There's less of Artie (Justin Timberlake) and more hijinks with Puss (Puss's "cute" act is definitely past its sell-by date, especially when he tries it as Donkey), Donkey and the Gingerbread Man. You know, for such a throw-away character, Ginger's getting a lot of play in these trailers. You can check it out over here.
Finally, we get our first look at the probable future of the franchise. Yes, we're talking about Shrek babies! Or is that Shreklings?
People managed to score several images of Shrek and Fiona cavorting with their triplets.
“It was the next logical step” says Shrek the Third co-director Chris Miller. “This is the new extended family. As for the film’s supporting players, they turn into a support staff. Puss and Donkey are always around, they’re those uncles that just always hang out.”
I have to say that the decision to release these suckers (no pun intended) seems a little questionable since DreamWorks is pretty much giving up all the plot twists of this movie ahead of time. We already know that Donkey and Puss will switch bodies, Fiona becoming "in the family way" was a feature of the 2nd trailer, and we know that Fiona will assemble a cadre of Disney princesses to fight Prince Charming and his minions.
Does DreamWorks have any further suprises for us in Shrek the Third, or have they blown their load even before the movie hits theatres? I guess we'll find out May 18th.
Meanwhile, there's further news in the sequels front. DreamWorks certainly loves dem sequels, and they have at least 3 more movies planned for the Shrek franchise.
The studio is in talks to get Mike Mitchell to direct Shrek 4. Mitchell, whose credits include Sky High (not bad) and Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo (ack!), is best known to animation fans for directing the award-winning short Herd plus writing and directing the Spongebob Squarepants episode "Friend or Foe." Tim Sullivan will write the script for Shrek 4.
Although DreamWorks is keeping quiet about Shrek 4 details, Julie Andrews (Queen Lillian), Cameron Diaz (Fiona) and Rupert Everett (Prince Charming) have all indicated that they'd be more than happy to reprise their roles for the next installments.
"If they do it–" started Andrews.
"I'm in it," finished Diaz. "I'm there, I'm there; I'll buy a ticket."
Everett is a little cagier, as befitting one who's playing the villain.
"Yes, there's a chance," he said, "there's always a chance. You'll have to wait and see."
For his part, Antonio Banderas has been pushing like hell for a Puss in Boots flick. His character was so well-received in Shrek 2 that he was immediately placed in Shrek the Third, and fans clamoured for a spin-off. David Steinberg and Jon Zack are developing the flick.
"It's fantastic 'cause Donkey doesn't have (a possible spin-off)!" says Banderas. "There was a Puss in Boots movement right there. No, I'm very happy that happened; I didn't expect it at all at the beginning that was going to be developed. In this one, they push him more, they're pushing like they've never done before."
However, Shrek the Third producer Adam Warner is essentially saying "no comment."
"There's definitely been talk about it," he says, "and it's definitely been in development. But I don't know where it is in the process; I'm not involved in it."
Shrek 4 is gunning for a summer 2010 release, with a possible Puss in Boots movie to follow the year after.
Fun Fact: Shrek the Third will be the first Shrek flick without director Andrew Adamson. He's currently working on The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, due in 2008.
