Shrek Card Match
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Description
Released in 2001, *Shrek* redefined animated storytelling with its irreverent humor and heart. Loosely inspired by William Steig’s 1990 fairy tale, the film follows Shrek, a grumpy ogre voiced by Mike Myers, whose solitary swamp life is disrupted by exiled fairy-tale creatures banished by the power-hungry Lord Farquaad (John Lithgow). To reclaim his home, Shrek strikes a deal: retrieve Princess Fiona (Cameron Diaz) as Farquaad’s bride in exchange for the swamp’s deed. Joined by the relentlessly chatty Donkey (Eddie Murphy), Shrek embarks on a quest that unravels Fiona’s hidden curse and sparks an unlikely romance. DreamWorks’ journey to bring Steig’s book to screens began years earlier. Steven Spielberg initially acquired the rights in 1991, envisioning a traditional animated project. By 1994, producer John H. Williams persuaded Spielberg to shift the film to the newly formed DreamWorks, where Jeffrey Katzenberg fast-tracked development after securing the rights in 1995. Chris Farley originally voiced Shrek, completing most dialogue before his untimely death in 1997. Myers stepped in, reshaping the character with a Scottish brogue. Early plans for motion-capture animation were scrapped due to technical limitations, leading DreamWorks to collaborate with Pacific Data Images for the film’s distinct CGI style. A box-office juggernaut, *Shrek* earned $484 million globally against a $60 million budget, cementing DreamWorks as Pixar’s chief rival. Critics praised its layered humor—balancing cheeky adult wit with child-friendly slapstick—and it made history as the first winner of the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. Eddie Murphy’s Donkey earned a BAFTA nomination, while the script scored nods for both BAFTA and Oscar adaptations. The franchise expanded with sequels, holiday specials, and the *Puss in Boots* spin-off, though plans for a fifth film stalled in 2009 before reviving in 2016. Beyond film, *Shrek* spawned video games, a Broadway musical, and even a Dark Horse comic. In 2010, the ogre himself received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, solidifying his status as a pop-culture icon.
