DreamWorks Animation and Paramount Pictures have already staked out a release date for the next installment in the hugely successful Shrek series. Currently in development under the working title The Next Shrek, the pic is currently slated to hit theaters on May 21, 2010. A mid-may opening served Shrek the Third quite well as it opened to $121 million on its way to a worldwide gross exceeding $718 million.
Given the tremendous box-office success of the last three CG-animated fractured fairytales, it comes as no surprise that the DreamWorks Animation CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg has confirmed that there will be a fifth Shrek installment as well. Shrek the Third proved critic-proof as it raked in the dough despite lukewarm reviews, and future chapters are sure to fill seats as long as the beloved characters are serving up their signature brand of humor, which appeals to adults as well as children.
Other big-ticket flicks scheduled to bow in 2010 include Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows and the yet untitled 23rd James Bond mission. The Next Shrek is the only one to lay claim to a specific weekend, which other studios are sure to avoid.
Fans of the green ogre can also see him in a new holiday TV special titled Shrek the Halls which premieres this December on ABC. The half-hour tv show will feature Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz and Antonio Banderas reprising their roles from the theatrical feature films. The special is directed by Gary Trousdale (Beauty and the Beast) and produced by Teresa Cheng (Madagascar) and Gina Shay (The SpongeBog SquarePants Movie).
