Shrek 4 Publicity Begins

Well, just as you thought you were sick of Princess and the Frog media hype, the push for Shrek 4 (aka Shrek Forever After) due out in May 2010 has begun. This is supposedly the final installment in the franchise, at least as a direct to theatre release, although a Puss in Boots spin-off is reportedly in the works.

Whether you are a fan or not--Shrek the Third certainly endangered the love--the movie is another entry in what I'm dubbing 2010: The Year of Fairy Tales on Film. So far in big screen release we will have Shrek 4, Rapunzel, and Beastly all following this month's Princess and the Frog release. We also have The Enchanted Screen: A History of Fairy Tales on Film by Jack David Zipes coming out in print in June (bumped from the previously stated January release).

Here are some articles and excerpts:

First Look at 'Shrek 4'

'Shrek,' the fairy-tale-spoofing animated franchise that's commanded more than $2.2 billion in global box office through three installments, will combine equal parts Brothers Grimm and 'It's a Wonderful Life' when its fourth act, 'Shrek Forever After,' hits theaters May 21.

That's according to USA Today, which received exclusive details from director Mike Mitchell about the upcoming computer-animated film. The movie will be released in 3D, a first for 'Shrek.'

In version 4.0, it seems that after rescuing a princess, getting married and fathering triplets, our favorite green ogre has found himself becoming a little too domesticated for his liking.

Shrek Forever After Trailer in Front of Avatar

DreamWorks Animation is going to try and squeeze another dollar-flavored drip of ogre milk from the Shrek teat this May with Shrek Forever After. All of us will get an early sniff of Donkey (Eddie Murphy), Puss (Antonio Banderas), Fiona (Cameron Diaz) and Shrek (Mike Myers) when the teaser trailer debuts in front of Avatar on December 18th.

Shrek Forever After reunites the entire gaggle of fairytale creatures from the last three movies, as well as introducing Rumpelstiltskin (Walt Dohrn), who, from what I gather of the plot, turns Shrek’s world upside down and sends him to some bizarre, alternate reality Far Far Away where Donkey is a genius, Lord Farquaad (John Lithgow) is still ruler and Shrek and Fiona have never met.

First look: 'Shrek Forever After': Fourth, final film is first in 3-D

No Shrek outing would be complete without new characters, and there are a bunch. Comedians Kathy Griffin and Kristin Schaal (Flight of the Conchords) are witches who hunt ogres. On the side of good is an underground resistance group led by Jon Hamm of Mad Men. "He is the best-looking ogre you've ever seen," Mitchell says.

So does Shrek Forever After wrap up with everyone living happily ever after? "I hate to give away the ending," Mitchell says, "but yes."