After over a decade in development, Puss in Boots: The Last Wish has finally released a trailer. The DreamWorks film is the first installment in their flagship Shrek franchise since 2011.
Puss in Boots: The Last Wishfollows Antonio Banderas' iconic feline adventurer as he embarks on a whole new quest. Having wasted eight of his nine lives, Puss seeks to find the fabled Last Wish to try to restore all his lives. The DreamWorks film will also feature Goldilocks as a villain, just like how the original Puss in Boots riffed on myths like "Humpty Dumpty" and "Jack and the Beanstalk."
But what's different about The Last Wish is its animation style. It doesn't have the stiff-but-consistent method of the original Shrek films, and is instead opting for a more stylized approach. The character designs seem somewhat cel-shaded, and similar to Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, the frame rates seem to vary from scene to scene. These are interesting changes, and only show off how technology and tastes have changed since the last Shrek films.
Rumors of a Shrek revival have circulated for ages. Most recently in 2018, Illumination teased a reboot by their studio, but no further evidence has been found. The itch for more has long been expressed on the internet, with its humorous appreciation of the Shrek series. This reached an apex with Shrek Retold, a feature-length remake and parody of the original film, made entirely by internet creators. And on top of that, fans have turned Shrek SuperSlam into an e-sport, and have countlessly remixed "All Star." Shrek fever is not going away anytime soon.
And while it's not Shrek 5, Puss in Boots: The Last Wish is a promising return to the franchise. The time has come for another irreverent fairy-tale-skewering adventure. Besides, with over a decade passing us by, there's now a whole new generation who's never seen a Shrek film in theaters. If the series remains as appealing as ever, we could expect a new set of films, including the proper return of Shrek and Donkey.
Will Puss in Boots: The Last Wish do right by the classic series? Could it be a return to form for DreamWorks Animation? And more importantly, will it usher in a new era of Shrek memes? This is certainly fans' wish.
Puss in Boots: The Last Wish will release in theaters on September 23rd, 2022.
Source: Universal Pictures