‘Despicable Me’ Producer Hired By Dreamworks To Relaunch The ‘Shrek’ Franchise

It’s only been seven years since “Puss in Boots,” the latest film in the “Shrek” franchise, hit theaters and earned $555 million worldwide. But as we’ve seen time and time again, it’s never too early to reboot a franchise. Although, what Dreamworks and “Despicable Me” mastermind Chris Meledandri is being called a reboot, but really doesn’t sound like what you would think is a typical use of the term.

Variety is reporting that Dreamworks has hired Meledandri, the man behind the animation studio Illumination, to figure out how to re-introduce the “Shrek” franchise to a new generation of moviegoers. The original “Shrek” was released in 2001 and quickly became an animated classic, spawning three sequels and one spin-off. All five of the “Shrek” films combined have earned a total of $3.5 billion at the worldwide box office, so you know it was only a matter of time before Dreamworks dusted off the green ogre for another round of films.

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However, while this new potential film series is being dubbed a “reboot,” it’s really “more of the same,” so to speak. You see, while it’s too early to confirm this, Meledandri says he’s not really interested in recasting the film series, which stars the vocal talents of Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz, and Antonio Banderas, among others.

He explains, “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. The challenge for us has been to find something that really does feel like it’s not simply yet another film in a series of sequels.”

So, much like the recent “Halloween” (which might be the first time the two franchises have ever been compared), the new “Shrek” film(s) will serve as more of a reboot-quel. Of course, before we can get down the nitty-gritty of what this new venture might look like, Meledandri has to first figure out the story. And it doesn’t sound like he has one ready to go.

“There’s a tremendous amount of fun to be had in that world, but it’s a high bar to find a story that’s truly of the world,” said producer. “You want to find something in the narrative that really feels like a departure.”

So, really the basic news is that the man behind the “Despicable Me” films (and yes, that includes the dreadful “Minions) and the upcoming “The Grinch” is now taking control of the “Shrek” franchise, and hopes to bring everyone back for a new series of films. The real question is whether or not the series can recapture the magic after almost a decade.