DreamWorks Animation’s Shrek the Third hits theaters today, continuing the adventures of author William Steig’s green ogre and pals Fiona, Donkey and Puss in Boots. Attendance for Sony/Columbia Pictures’ Spider-Man 3 should trail off enough to see a new box office king take the throne, but the third Shrek installment has its work cut out for it in matching the phenomenal success of predecessor, which grossed nearly a billion dollars worldwide.
In Shrek the Third, King Harold falls ill and it’s up to Shrek (Mike Myers) to find a suitable heir to the throne or else he’ll be forced to take the job. Along with Donkey (Eddie Murphy) and Puss In Boots (Antonio Banderas), he sets out to track down Fiona’s rebellious cousin Artie (Justin Timberlake), and attempts to transform him into a suitable successor. Meanwhile, Prince Charming (Rupert Everett) storms the castle, forcing Fiona (Cameron Diaz) and Queen Lillian (Julie Andrews) to defend their ‘happily ever afters’ with help from Cheri Oteri (Saturday Night Live) as Sleeping Beauty, Amy Poehler (Saturday Night Live) as Snow White, Maya Rudolph (Saturday Night Live) as Rapunzel and Amy Sedaris (Strangers with Candy) as Cinderella. Also joining the cast are Monty Python’s Eric Idle as Merlin, John Krasinski (The Office) as Lancelot and Ian McShane (Deadwood) as Captain Hook.
Spider-Man 3 is still in a couple hundred more theaters than Shrek the Third, but, following its 60% drop off last week, the blockbuster superhero epic shouldn’t be to venomous to the DreamWorks/Paramount animated release. Other studios seem content to sit back and watch the two titans duke it out since no other movies are debuting in wide release this weekend.
Shrek doesn’t have to contend with any other animated features until June 8, when Sony Pictures Animation’s penguin surfing comedy Surf’s Up washes into theaters. However, next weekend sees the arrival of a major competitor as Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End debuts on May 25.
View clips, behind-the-scenes featurettes and other Shrek the Third video content now playing on AniMagTV (www.animag.tv).
