Green-Skin Movies No More?

The idea of a green-skinned grumpy ogre entertaining kids might seem boring at first, but the "Shrek" franchise proves otherwise. The antics of this character reached the third volume and, although tremendously successful, some people start wondering about how far it will go. Four movies? Five? Let's see.

The main subject of the show is a green ogre with an attitude who falls in love with a cursed human princess who ultimately renounces her pretty looks so that they can be a "normal" couple after which they head off to live in Shrek's swamp. In the second movie, the happy green couple manage to avoid a plot against them, ending with Shrek becoming the next in line for the throne of the king, although he's not happy about it. This year's sequel, entitled "Shrek the Third" was immensely successful. I don't want to reveal much of the plot, but the main idea is that Shrek wants to avoid being king, by finding a worthy heir to the throne.

Another sequel is currently in production, and a preliminary release date was set for 2010. DreamWorks co-founder Jeffrey Katzenberg revealed that the storyline of Shrek is a finite one, and hinted that the fifth installment of the series might be its last. In an interview, co-star Antonio Banderas said the same, so the news is quite solid. Although the fifth (and possibly final) part of the story is planned, funds for this last episode haven't been green-lit, so nothing is sure so far. Another rumor is that the full cast will be back for any future sequels.

But the franchise does not consist of only these five "Shrek" long movies. The studios also released a short animation in 2003 called "Shrek 4-D" and is planning to make a half-hour Christmas special entitled "Shrek the Halls". A spin-off is also planned, with Banderas' character as lead. "Puss in Boots: The Story of an Ogre Killer" is expected in 2011 but the plot is still thin. Until then, go see this third movie, or wait until September for the green grumpy DVD.