As the third instalment to one of the most successful animations series in history opens this week, the cast and crew met Sian Thatcher in London to chat about sequels, swords and farting
The Shrek series has been unprecedented in terms of success as an animation – the first won an Academy-award, the second in the series smashed all box-office records and the third looks set to do much the same. But with the sequel territory, nothing is guaranteed. While the second can be hit or miss, the third is even more difficult to pitch just right.
Indeed thirds have been served up with mixed reactions in the last few weeks – Spiderman 3 and Pirates were criticised for being overly complicated, but still did amazingly well at the box office. Jeffrey Katzenberg, producer of Shrek the Third, admits this has been a nerve-racking time for him.
“This was such a competitive summer, May in the US with Spidey, Pirates and Shrek all opening within three weeks of one another, and I was just very anxious about whether we would get our moment in the sun. So again [we've had] just an amazing turn out in support of the film in the States and broke all records and so far I'm happy to say that's been the case in every country we've opened in around the world. We've set box office records in Russia, Korea, Malaysia, everywhere. It's been a nice surprise for all of us.”
But while the Shrek brand seems established and a bit of a cert at the box office, Aaran Warner (writer/producer), says it's never something they can afford to take for granted. “It's never a no-brainer, but what contributes to its appeal is number one, the character of Shrek, who is in many cases the person we never want to admit we are, but feel we are sometimes. Number two, the cast who bring a tremendous amount to the plate. I liken the whole experience of watching a Shrek movie to going to a fantastic party – everywhere you turn there's someone cool to talk to, something interesting to do, something new to learn...and something strange going on in the next room.”
There certainly is a lot going on in the new Shrek – Fiona's father passes away and he leaves two potential heirs to the throne – the reluctant Shrek and a young cousin, Artie, voiced by Justin Timberlake. Shrek, spurred on by his lack of enthusiasm for the job, sets out in search of nerdy Artie, but not before Fiona drops the bombshell that he is soon to be a dad. This throws him into a state of confusion and wishing for the good old days in the swamp.
Mike Myers says he can identify with Shrek in this respect and likes a bit of peace and quiet: “I'm actually a site-specific extrovert. I'm mostly introverted and then occasionally I'm wheeled out and I become extroverted,” he says. “I do like my quality 'me' time.”
Justin, too, has been a bit of an outcast in the past and appreciates what his character goes through in school. “I grew up in Tennessee where you either play football or you do nothing at all,” he explains, “so I was a bit of a loner being interested in music growing up.”
While he has recently eschewed music in favour of acting, and garnered a whole host of rave reviews, this was his first animated film and he found being in the studio by himself a strange experience. “The only thing I can really equate this to is when you're seven or eight years old and you're standing alone in your backyard and you have a stick and, to you it's a huge sword and you really are King Arthur,” says Timberlake. “When I first was offered the part, I got to see what Artie looked like, so I'm sitting in this booth and I'm just imagining...It's fantastical, anything can happen in the Shrek world, so you just imagine it happening and you go for it.”
Cameron Diaz says she also gets a big kick out of doing the films, and says it's all down to the reaction they get from the public. Diaz says: “When people come up to you on the street everyday and say how much they love Shrek and ask “when's the next one coming out', you just know how much it means to people. To be a part of something that has so much integrity – it's not something that happens all the time and I'm just proud to be a part of it.”
“I was a fan of the first one,” says Antonio Banderas. “I thought it was a fantastic contra-cultural movie that was invited to Cannes film festival and put the entire intellectuality of Europe upside down in an auteur festival. So when they called me, I almost unconditionally said 'yes'…”
At this point Mike interjects with: “I like it when Shrek farts in the mud. I'm not sure of the class struggle involved in that though.”
“Even that, even him farting is interesting, though,” agrees Antonio. “It has not been done in another type of movie – only in Shrek there's a space for farts and burps.”
Antonio's Puss in Boots is indeed back for the third instalment and seems more popular than ever. Antonio says he loved playing him and it seems we may be seeing a lot more of the manipulative, yet oh-so-cute cat, as he is soon to star in his own film. “Ah yes, it seems that this is going to happen,” he says. “We have the script already. It's going to be made by the same team, which is fabulous as I love to be in this family, they were fantastic and probably Chris is going to be the director. And, so it's going to happen.” It seems in this film we'll see his early years and what made the feline sidekick become a killer in a funny, yet apparently moving tale.
On the other hand, we may have seen the last of Prince Charming, voiced by Rupert Everett. In the third instalment, he gets his comeuppance for his dastardly ways and Rupert admits he was disappointed to see Shrek the Third for himself.
“I'm keeping fingers and toes crossed that the tower that fell on me didn't destroy me, didn't put me right out. I did do some dialogue from inside the tower –'‘help I'm in here, I'm in here' – and when I saw the film, freezing cold at Paramount a couple of weeks ago on my own, there was no sound, nothing. So it's a mystery… I'm just keeping my fingers crossed.”
He says that he's not the only one to have been surprised and upset at what's ended up in the final cut. “I was sitting with Jennifer Saunders when both of us were watching Shrek 2 together, she thinking, ‘Fairy godmother – this role has wings', she'd be going on for years. As she was zapped at the end, she grabbed me and we looked at each other and she said, 'No it can't be'. And then her glasses fell to the floor and she said, ‘That's it, it's over.' I thought of her when I saw it on my own because my crown when the tower falls down, goes bumph and then my crown goes meeyeee, plunk. And I thought, 'Oh, that's my Jennifer moment.'”
But will there be more Shrek? Rumours abound about a Shrek 4 in 3D and a TV special Shrek the Halls. Antonio says, “As long as the audience is demanding more stories from Shrek, we're going to be more than happy to do it – I mean, nobody in his right mind would reject to do something like that.”
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