While “Shrek” fans are anxiously awaiting the third installment of the wildly popular and lucrative Dreamworks animated franchise, ComingSoon.net was given a glimpse at a few minutes of the unfinished movie to get the inside scoop as to what Shrek the Third is all about.
Co-director Chris Miller eagerly met us at PDI, Pacific Design Images, just outside San Francisco and talked to us about the much anticipated upcoming film.
“Everybody is back. All of the original cast,” Miller confirmed. “Prince Charming as Rupert Everett is playing it, is definitely the bad guy this time around. In ‘Shrek 2,’ he was supposed to take over the kingdom. That was going to complete his happily ever after and become king and it didn’t work out for him. He lost his mom. He’s got a major chip on his shoulder.”
“Justin Timberlake plays the young teenage Arthur who is really a lot like Shrek in this film. They share certain personality traits,” Miller continued. “Very stubborn, very much an outsider at his school. It’s very difficult for Shrek to deal with.”
Miller said there are a lot of new characters in this film and the story picks up shortly after Shrek 2.
“It’s a pretty continuous story. Shrek and Fiona are still in Far, Far Away. They wanted to go back to the swamp, but unfortunately, the frog king, Fiona’s dad, has taken ill. While he’s sick, Fiona and Shrek have agreed to take over the day to day duties of the kingdom. That’s kind of where the film opens.”
The very first scene we were shown was of Shrek and Fiona waking up with Donkey and Puss in Boots bursting into their room and reminding them of their busy schedules.
“Okay you have a very full day sitting in for the king and the queen. There are several functions that acquire your attendance,” Puss in Boots says.
Donkey chimes in, “Come on. Time to get movin’. He goes to pull back the covers from Shrek and screams, “You really need to get yourself a pair of jammies.”
Although Shrek tries to fulfill the duties of the king, his clumsiness and awkwardness gets in the way. Donkey decides that if Shrek looks more like royalty than maybe it will help. He demands Shrek and Fiona both have makeovers.
Fiona, not impressed or excited by their new look asks, “Um is this really necessary?”
“I don’t know how much longer I can keep this up,” Shrek admits.
“I’m sorry Shrek. Please just try to grin and bear it. It’s just until dad gets better,” Fiona says sympathetically.
Of course, right after Fiona tells Shrek everything is going to be alright, a huge mishap occurs when Shrek’s inept ways cause a major disaster in the castle.
“Who do you think we’re kidding,” Shrek angrily bursts out. “I am an Ogre. I’m not cut out for this Fiona. I never will be.”
While Fiona tried to comfort Shrek again, she also tries to tell him he’s about to be a dad. But, Shrek just doesn’t get it.
“Just think, in a couple more days, we’ll be back home in our vermin filled shack strewn with fungus filled with the rotting stench of mud and neglect,” Fiona says to him.
“Oh you had me at vermin filled,” Shrek says.
“And um maybe even the pitter patter of little feet on the floor.”
“That’s right, the swamp rats will be spawning,” Shrek says clueless.
“No, what I was thinking of is a little bit bigger than a spawning rat.”
“Donkey?” Shrek asks.
“No Shrek. What if theoretically, they were little Ogre feet?”
“Oh honey let’s try to be rational about this. Have you seen a baby lately? They just eat and poop and they cry and they cry when they poop and they poop when they cry. Now imagine an Ogre baby. The extra cry and the extra poop.”
“Don’t you ever think about having a family?” Fiona asks.
“Right now, you are my family.”
At this moment, Shrek and Fiona find out the king is dying.
Miller explained after the clip that King Harold would like to have Shrek replace him, however Shrek doesn’t want the responsibility of the job. The king says the only other person who can take over the throne is Artie, Fiona’s cousin. Shrek leaves with Puss in Boots and Donkey to find Artie so he can take over the throne and become the next king. Before he takes off, Fiona finally tells him she’s pregnant.
“Shrek maybe you should just stay and be king,” she says.
Shrek asnwered, “Oh come on. There’s no way that I could ever run a kingdom. That’s why your cousin Arthur is a perfect choice.”
“No, it’s not just that. No, it’s see ”
Shrek interrupts, “And if he gives me any trouble, I’ve always got persuasion and reason. Fiona soon it’s just going to be you and me and our swamp.”
“It’s not going to be just you and me.”
Shrek tries to pretend like he’s happy, but you can see he’s terrified and not ready to be a father.
But, what makes matters even worse, Miller continued, is that, “Meanwhile Prince Charming thinks no one is in charge and the job was supposed to be his so he gets an idea and drives up to the Poison Apple Bar where all the villains hang out.”
He isn’t well received at first, but he convinces the others to go with him and take over Far, Far Away. Once he has everyone on board, they storm the castle and trash Far, Far Away. The princesses have thrown Fiona a baby shower and are in the middle of the party when they are told Prince Charming and his new friends have taken over, so the girls go into hiding.
Meanwhile, Shrek finds Artie, but when he hears about what’s happening at Far, Far Away and how he’s next in line to be king, he runs away because he’s afraid of the responsibility and this is where you begin to see how similar Shrek and Artie really are. With Shrek still away and the princesses acting, well, like princesses, it’s up to Fiona to pull the girls together and fight Prince Charming and the evil villains.
Shrek the Third opens in theaters on May 18. You can read an interview with co-directors Chris Miller and Raman Hui and producer Aron Warner here and an update on Shrek 4 and “Shrek the Halls” here!
