Released in 2001, Shrek is an animated film that perfectly blends comedy and fantasy. It’s a story about an ogre who falls in love with a princess called Fiona. They have a bunch of cute babies, and along the way, they make very funny friends like Donkey. Shrek is the kind of show you can watch over and over again. While that is so, here are some facts you may have missed about the film.
1. Shrek was Based on a Book
The original Shrek character was based on a book released in 1990 by William Steig. It, however, has a different storyline. In the initial book, Shrek left home in search of fortunes and not a princess. He also had unique abilities, such as breathing fire. William Steig passed away in 2003, so he had the opportunity to see his character come to life even though it didn’t appear as he had envisioned.
2. Shrek Initially Had a Thick Canadian Accent
Most people remember Shrek’s Scottish accent because that was what was finally produced and released. However, did you know the producers initially gave him a thick Canadian accent, which Mike Meyers voiced? Yes, the film was first animated in the Canadian accent before the stakeholders saw it fit to portray Shrek with a Scottish accent. The film had to be re-animated, costing more than $4 million.
Still on Mike Meyers, he was not the first pick to play Shrek; Chris Farley was! Unfortunately, Chris Farley died a few weeks after production started. There are clips of the departed playing Shrek at Dreamworks.
3. Stephen Spielberg Almost Made the Shrek Movie
Everyone knows that Dreamworks produced the Shrek movie, but it would have been made by Stephen Spielberg. A year after William Steig released the book, Spielberg acquired it to make a 2D animation. He intended to feature Dan Akroyd as Shrek and Chris Rock as Donkey. That didn’t work out, and Dreamworks acquired the rights to the book.
4. Shrek Won the First Ever Academy Award for Animated Feature
Shrek made history by being the first animated feature film to win an Academy Award for best-animated feature.
5. Shrek’s Storyline Would Have Been a Bit Different
In the initial story, Fiona would have been an ogre throughout the film, which would have changed the whole storyline. As for Shrek himself, he was intended to look more “ogrish.” The animators intended for Shrek to have missing teeth and a red nose.
6. Shrek is 8ft Tall
When standing next to Lord Farquaad, Shrek looks like a giant. Well, that’s because the animators ensured he was super tall by giving him a height of 8ft, contributing to his super-strength.
7. Shrek Means Fear
Shrek is borrowed from the German word Shreck, which means terror or fear. That makes sense because it’s the name of an ogre. Interestingly, Shrek has no last name. After Fiona agrees to marry him, she doesn’t get a last name. In Yiddish, Shrek means horrible.
8. Shrek Would Have Been Living with His Parents
Shrek loved living alone in his swamp. On the contrary, earlier ideas saw Shrek living with his parents in a village called Wart Creek. To emphasize the whole ogre narrative, he would have been keeping rotting fish and rubbish in his room. However, the animators decided to go with the swamp because it sold the narrative of Shrek’s loneliness.
9. Shrek Has a Hollywood Star
People think only real celebrities get Hollywood stars, but fictional characters enjoy the same privilege. A good example is Shrek, who got a Hollywood star in 2010. Mike Myers represented the character on that occasion.
10. Nicholas Cage Declined the Offer to Play Shrek
Dreamworks had a long lineup of celebrities to play Shrek, one of them being Nicholas Cage. However, Cage turned down this offer because he thought playing an ogre would make him less attractive.
11. Shrek’s Dad Wanted to Eat Him
Shrek was afraid of being a dad because his father tried to eat him several times. In Shrek The Third, he narrates how his dad tried eating him while sleeping. Fortunately, Shrek turns out to be a great father.
12. Shrek Helped Dreamworks Find It’s Footing in the Film Industry
Even though they had released a couple of successful films, such as Aladdin, Shrek grossed millions of dollars in revenue. This helped Dreamworks find its footing in the film industry. Thanks to Shrek, Dreamworks ventured into other films like Kung Fu Panda and How to Train Your Dragon. According to the company’s co-founder Jeffrey Katzenberg, Shrek saved Dreamworks studio.
13. Janeane Garofalo Initially voiced Fiona
Cameron Diaz is popularly known for voicing Fiona, Shrek’s wife. However, that role had been given to Janeane Garofalo. Strangely, when Janeane was fired, she wasn’t told why. She alleged that she was fired because she sometimes sounded like a man.
14. Shrek was Adapted into a Musical
After Shrek became a hit, it was adapted into a Broadway musical in 2008. Brian d’Arcy James and Sutton Foster played the characters. It even won Best Costume Musical at the Tony Awards in 2009.
15. Shrek 5 is Coming to the Screens in 2026
After Dreamworks was sold to Universal, there were claims that Shrek 5 would be released. The actors had claimed it would be out in 2019 or 2020. While that did not happen, an announcement was made recently indicating Shrek 5 will be released in 2026.