From repugnant to beloved: Unveiling the original Shrek character
It is unequivocal that the release of "Shrek" in 2001 marked a significant transformation for not just the animated film industry, but cinema as a whole. This seemingly uncouth and mistake-prone creature, with an initially unpleasant disposition, was universally adored for its intrinsic humanity. The thought of this beloved character looking entirely different is simply astounding.
Shrek, a collaborative effort by Andrew Adamson and Vicky Jensen, took the world by storm in 2001. The tale of a swamp-dwelling ogre who must rescue a beautiful princess to reclaim his home won the hearts of audiences internationally. Produced on a budget of 60 million dollars, the film grossed 488 million dollars and bagged an Oscar for the Best Animated Film. This title quickly became an iconic part of pop culture, and the character's dialogues, delivered by a star-studded cast that included Mike Meyers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz, John Lithgow, and Vincent Cassel, permeated the everyday language of viewers.
Given its promising start, it was clear that the franchise could not stop there. Adamson, along with Kelly Asbury, returned with the second installment in 2004, followed by the fourth segment of Shrek's journey by Chris Miller and Raman Hui three years later. In 2010, "Shrek Forever" by Mike Mitchell was released as the fourth and last chapter to date. The franchise then expanded to include two spin-offs about Puss in Boots in 2017 and 2022. Now, fans are eagerly awaiting the sequel that has been garnering increasing attention recently.
The original concept of Shrek surfaces on the internet
More than two decades since its premiere, we have been given a glimpse of what our favorite character could have looked like, and the picture might be quite surprising. As revealed by Comic Book Resources, an animation clip from 1995 was posted on the "The Zoom Art Studio" YouTube channel by Barry Jackson, one of the artists involved in the production.
Jackson explains in the video that the short film was meant to serve as an initial sketch for Shrek's character and demonstrate its feasibility for computer animation, which hadn't yet become an industry norm. Chris Farley, well-known from "Saturday Night Live", supplied the voice for the main character. Unfortunately, Farley passed away in 1997 and didn't live to see the final product.
Initially, Shrek was designed to be repugnant
Fortunately, the animation sample persuaded the producers to invest in the project and encouraged the creators to gloss over the main character's harsher traits. As evident from the released fragment, the original Shrek was starkly different from the character we know and love today. Ultimately, while the ogre was created to be repulsive and scary, he ended up with a less offensive appearance, and the vibrant animation does not seem overwhelming or troubling for the viewers.
Shrek's original depiction was entirely different. In the 38-second clip, we see Shrek walking through the narrow, dark alleys of a city plunged into obscurity. The tune "I Feel Good" by James Brown echoes in the background—a testament to the creators' knack for catchy music. An armed bandit attempts to mug the ogre, but Shrek scares him off, sends him flying into the sky, and then proceeds to dance to the beat of the music.
Viewing this material, it becomes evident that the modifications made were indeed necessitated and steered the project in an unmistakably right direction. If the changes hadn't been made, the "Shrek" series might not have become such a significant phenomenon in the realm of global animation.
