How many Shrek movies are there? The full list in order of release (plus spin offs).
Fairy tales have never been the same since the release of "Shrek" in 2001. The film-turned-franchise is loosely based on the 1990 fantasy picture book of the same name by William Steig.
"Shrek!" tells the tale of Shrek, a green-skinned, fire-breathing monster who leaves his childhood swamp, travels the world and marries an ugly princess. But, this is not quite the story audiences came to know through the DreamWorks' films.
The beloved series, starring Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz and Antonio Banderas, has left a major impact on entertainment, sparking spin offs, short films, a television show, a Tony-nominated Broadway musical and even amusement park attractions.
Here is how many “Shrek” movies there are, including the original series and spin offs.
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How many 'Shrek' movies are there?
There are four films in the "Shrek" series with a fifth potentially in development. However, there are various other forms of media in the franchise, including two "Puss in Boots" spin offs and several short films.
'Shrek' movies in the order they were released
The original film, released in 2001, follows Shrek the ogre (Mike Myers) whose swamp becomes overrun by fairy tale creatures cast out by Lord Farquaad (John Lithgow). To get his swamp back, Shrek is tasked by Farquaad to rescue Princess Fiona (Cameron Diaz). During this quest, he has the help of Donkey (Eddie Murphy).
The 2004 sequel finds Shrek, Fiona and Donkey in the kingdom of Far Far Away to meet Fiona's parents, King Harold (John Cleese) and Queen Lillian (Julie Andrews). Shrek and Donkey then must team up with Puss in Boots (Antonio Banderas) to stop Fairy Godmother's (Jennifer Saunders) plan to end Shrek and Fiona's marriage.
This movie, released in 2007, begins with Shrek and Fiona inheriting the throne of Far Far Away after the death of King Harold. Shrek feels he is unfit to rule and seeks to find another heir, persuading Fiona's 16-year-old cousin Arthur (Justin Timberlake) to be king instead. At the same time, Prince Charming (Rupert Everett) plots to seize the throne to avenge his mother's death.
The series' fourth film, released in 2010, finds Shrek struggling with his role as a father and domestic life. He longs for the days where he was a wild, feared ogre with no responsibilities. But after making a deal with Rumpelstiltskin (Walt Dohrn), there are tragic consequences Shrek must fix to restore life to normal and get his true love back.
How many Shrek related movies are there?
In 2011, DreamWorks released the series' first spin off, "Puss in Boots." The movie is an origin story, following Puss in Boots before he meets Shrek and Donkey in "Shrek 2."
Puss, along with Humpty Dumpty (Zach Galifianakis) and Kitty Softpaws (Salma Hayek), set out to take down outlaws Jack and Jill (Billy Bob Thornton and Amy Sedaris, respectively) who have legendary magical beans that lead to valuable golden goose eggs.
A sequel "Puss in Boots: The Last Wish" released on December 21, 2022. Puss discovers he has used eight of his nine lives, so he sets out to find the mythical wishing star to regain them. Puss enlists the help of Kitty Softpaws, along with newcomer Perro (Harvey Guillén). All the while, the trio must be "one step ahead" of Goldilocks (Florence Pugh), the Three Bears Crime Family, "Big" Jack Horner (John Mulaney) and the Big Bad Wolf (Wagner Moura), according to DreamWorks.
Additionally, there are eight short films in the Shrek franchise.
Shrek in the Swamp Karaoke Dance Party (2001)
Shrek 4-D (2003)
Far Far Away Idol (2004)
Donkey's Christmas Shrektacular (2010)
Shrek's Yule Log (2010)
Thriller Night (2011)
The Pig Who Cried Werewolf (2011)
Puss in Boots: The Three Diablos (2012)
Looking back on the 'Shrek' premiere: 22 April 2001
Is 'Shrek 5' ever coming out?
In 2016, a fifth installment to the Shrek franchise was announced, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
The movie was set for release in 2019, nine years after the fourth film. This went against "Shrek Forever After" being the final installment of the franchise.
Eddie Murphy later revealed the fifth film would potentially not hit theaters until 2020, according to Cinema Blend. Michael McCullers, "Austin Powers" and "Boss Baby" screenwriter, was tasked to write the film, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
In 2018, it was announced Chris Meledandri, producer and CEO of Illumination, would help revive the franchise after DreamWorks was bought by Comcast, Illumination's parent company, according to Variety. Melendandri said in an interview with Variety he would like to bring back the original voice cast.
There is no official release date for the fifth film, but for now, it appears the Shrek franchise is not ogre yet.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: How many Shrek movies are there in total? Full list in order of release
