Shrek is the set to get the reboot treatment from Despicable Me‘s Chris Meledandri. A Puss in Boots reboot is also being developed by Meledandri.
Universal Pictures’ parent company Comcast acquired DreamWorks and set Meledandri to reboot the classic franchise. Meledandri has been hesitant to commit to a full reboot as he acknowledges the original casts’ chemistry. He has gone on record in a Variety profile detailing the impact of the original Shrek cast.
Meledandri said, “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.”
Melendandri has made a name for himself by producing films such as Despicable Me and Sing through his company, Illumination Entertainment. Illumination has grown into an animation juggernaut over the last few years so it’s no surprise he was chosen to lead these reboots.
Meledandri doesn’t just want to cash in on Shrek though. He continues “There’s a tremendous amount of fun to be had in that world, but it’s a high bar. You want to find something in the narrative that really feels like a departure.”
No further information regarding the reboots has been released. Illumination’s next movie, The Grinch hits theaters on November 9th.
Variety first reported this story.
