‘Shrek’ The Movie Isn’t Old Enough To Vote…But It’s Getting A Reboot

Shrek wax figure at Madame Tussauds in Istanbul Image by Getty Images

By Jenny Singer November 6, 2018

It’s a 21st century fairytale: “Shrek,” the 2001 DreamWorks comedy, will live again. The universally beloved animated movie already spawned three follow-ups, a spin-off, and a Broadway musical, and one more follow-up is in the works. So is it time to reboot the original smash(mouth) hit? What would Donkey say? Listen to your wallet — I mean, your heart.

Variety announced on Tuesday that both “Shrek” and its feline-focused spinoff “Puss n’ Boots” will be rebooted by “Despicable Me” producer Christopher Meledandri. While Meledandri says his project is still in the earliest stages, he told Variety that he would be interested in assembling the original cast of voice actors — Cameron Diaz, Eddie Murphy, and Mike Meyers, to name a few — who are all very much alive and well. Since Dreamworks was purchased by Comcast in 2016, “Shrek” as well as “Puss n’ Boots,” a spinoff that will also be rebooted, will be under the auspices of Universal Pictures. So budge up, picture book, five extant “Shrek” movies, and three forthcoming “Shrek” movies, and countless computer games and TV specials — a theme park ride is surely on the way.

What’s Jewish about all this, besides the theme of recycling and clinging desperately to tradition? “Shrek” all started with the work of Jewish New Yorker cartoonist William Steig, creator of the “Shrek!” children’s book that was adapted by DreamWorks. Rights to the picture book were originally purchased by Steven Spielberg. Steig named his title character after the Yiddish word “shrek,” which means fear.

With this many iterations, a more appropriate Yiddish word might be “drek.”

Jenny Singer is the deputy lifestyle editor for the Forward. You can reach her at Singer@forward.com or on Twitter @jeanvaljenny

Jenny Singer is a freelance writer with pieces in Vox, the Washington Post, The San Francisco Chronicle, Teen Vogue, and more. She was previously a staff writer at Glamour and the Forward, and she’s currently getting an MFA in nonfiction writing at the University of Iowa.

A message from our CEO & publisher Rachel Fishman Feddersen

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.

The coming year promises to be filled with more complex and historic developments. We are entering an era where independent, fact-based Jewish journalism will be more important than ever. We need to be ready for whatever 2025 will bring, and with your help, we can be.

We’ve set a goal to raise $260,000 by December 31. That’s an ambitious goal, but one that will give us the resources we need to invest in the high quality news, opinion, analysis and cultural coverage that isn’t available anywhere else.

If you feel inspired to make an impact, now is the time to give something back. Join us as a member at your most generous level.

— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO