Shrek the Halls coming
DreamWorks will air Christmas special on ABC
May 16, 2007 Dominic von Riedemann
(Source: www.scifi.com)
With Shrek the Third two days from theatres, DreamWorks Animation is priming the pump for their animated Christmas special, called Shrek the Halls.
"Imagine Shrek is trying to put together a Christmas for his new family and extended family," producer Aaron Warner says. "And Shrek doesn't even know what Christmas is. He is doing it for his new family and has never done it before. ... He wants his babies to experience tradition."
Of course, Fiona and their babies will have more to do in this show. In a welcome development, Warner revealed that Mike Myers (Shrek), Cameron Diaz (Fiona), Eddie Murphy (Donkey) and Antonio Banderas (Puss in Boots) will all reprise their roles for the special.
"Puss in Boots will celebrate Christmas with the Shreks," agrees Banderas.
Gary Trousdale (Beauty and the Beast) will direct the special, with Teresa Cheng (Madagascar) and Gina Shay (Spongebob Squarepants Movie) producing.
In an unusual twist, Shrek the Halls is airing on ABC, the television network owned by none other than the Walt Disney Company.
For those not in the know, DreamWorks CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg was formerly a senior executive at the Mouse House, where he oversaw Disney's late-1980's "animation renaissance" with such films as The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, and Aladdin. He also helped turn the then-ailing studio into the entertainment colossus it is today.
However, he left Disney when then-CEO Michael Eisner refused to promote him after Eisner's right hand man Frank Wells died in a helicopter crash. Since then, Katzenberg co-founded DreamWorks with David Geffen and Stephen Spielberg, and has been using the Shrek series to mock the Mouse House at every turn.
However, current CEO Robert Iger has been mending fences with everyone Eisner irritated, including Katzenberg. The fact that Shrek the Halls will air on ABC means Katzenberg has mended fences with Disney.
Unfortunately, the real question remains: will Shrek the Halls become a classic holiday special, or a classic failure? The biggest indicator is reaction to Shrek the Third, which is coming out this Friday. The movie currently has an impressive 67% Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes. But a closer look at some of those complimentary reviews suggests that the franchise is starting to get stale.
"(Shrek the Third) should be a huge hit, even if it’s a bit of a letdown from the silly fun of the first two films," says Sean McBride (aka Sean the Movie Guy) in his "Fresh"-rated review.
"The third outing remains amusing, but lacks the genuine thrills and few belly laughs that made the other two so memorable," says Garth Franklin of Dark Horizons.
"While still mirthful and eccentric enough to amuse his hordes of admirers, the irascible green ogre begins to show signs of encroaching middle age," concurs Todd McCarthy of Variety.
Shrek the Halls is coming in December of 2007. Shrek the Third opens Friday, May 18th.
Shrek the Halls
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