This should make fans of the Shrek franchise happy. Variety sat down with Chris Meledandri, who announced the fifth installment of Shrek.
“It’s not that dissimilar to the process that we went through with ‘Mario,’ where you look at what the core elements are that audiences have loved, and you do your very best to honor those core elements,” Meledandri said to Variety. “And then you’re hard at work to build story elements and new characters that take you to brand new places. The original cast is a huge part of that.”
Variety reported that no one had signed any paperwork for Shrek 5, but negotiations are underway.
“We anticipate the cast coming back. Talks are starting now, and every indication that we’ve gotten is there’s tremendous enthusiasm on behalf of the actors to return,” Meledandri said to Variety.
The outlet reported that after the success of Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, Eddie Murphy said: “If [DreamWorks] ever came with another ‘Shrek,’ I’d do it in two seconds. I love Donkey. They did ‘Puss in Boots’ movies. I was like, ‘They should have done a Donkey movie.’ Donkey is funnier than Puss in Boots. I mean, I love Puss in Boots, but he ain’t funny as the Donkey.”
Meledandri told Variety that he was ecstatic after reading Murphy’s comments.
“It’s evidence of his strong enthusiasm for a role that he so brilliantly inhabited and really created alongside the artists at DreamWorks. I found that comment to be very exciting,” Meledandri said to Variety.
Shrek was created by William Steig and initially voiced by the late-comedian Chris Farley. After Farley’s untimely death, fellow comedian Mike Myers took over vocal duties for Shrek.
Shrek first appeared in theaters back in 2001. Sherk 2, Shrek the Third, and Puss In Boots were released in 2004, 2007, and 2011, respectively.