Universal Pictures To Reboot ‘Shrek’ & ‘Puss in Boots’ Films

You didn’t misread that headline. Yes, the Shrek and Puss in Boots films are set to receive reboots, courtesy of Universal Pictures. In an age where many critique Hollywood for seemingly being out of ideas, and when more often than not, we’re getting reboots, remakes, sequels, soft reboots, and so on of properties, whether on the big-screen or on television, now we can apparently add the likes of Shrek and Puss in Boots to the list. But in the middle of your groaning, it’s worth noting that these will be overseen by Chris Meledandri, a producer on the Despicable Me films.

Now I can’t personally speak to the quality of the Despicable Me films, as I’ve never seen any of them, but they are well regarded from a critical standpoint and bring in huge numbers at the box office for Universal Pictures, so Universal Pictures is making a good choice bringing someone with experience in the animated world with Meledandri. And while there’s not much to go off of right now in regards to new storylines for Puss in Boots and Shrek, Meledandri doesn’t foresee bringing in new voices.

When you look at the Shrek films, what makes them memorable isn’t merely that they’re parodies of classic fairy tales, but contain great chemistry from the voice cast that included the likes of Mike Myers, Cameron Diaz, Eddie Murphy, Antonio Banderas, and John Lithgow, just to name a few. As Meledandri stated in a recent interview:

“When you look back on those vocal performances they’re awesome, and while you certainly could make a case for a complete reinvention, I find myself responding to my own nostalgic feelings of wanting to go back to those characterizations.”

So at the very least, even though we could be headed back to the swamp with these two films, it seems that Meledandri has no intention of messing with what clicked about these two franchises as far as the performances go. Still, it’s another indication of Hollywood heading back to the drawing board, opening its treasure chest of franchises, and plucking one out to apply a fresh coat of paint. Perhaps I’m being too cynical, as there’s nothing to go off of other than that this is happening, but what do you think?

Has it been long enough for Shrek and Puss in Boots to get the reboot treatment? And what stories would you want to see told in these new takes on the franchises? Let us know in the comments below.

Source: Variety