Shrek

Genre: Fantasy/Animated.

Studio: DreamWorks SKG.
Production Company: DreamWorks SKG.

Project Phase: Development Hell.

Type of Animation:

Computer Generated/Live Action/Models.

Who's In It: Mike Myers (Shrek); Cameron Diaz (The Princess); Eddie Murphy (The Donkey); John Lithgow (The Villain); Linda Hunt (The Witch).
Who's Making It: Andrew Adamson, Vicki Jensen (Directors); Ted Elliot, Terry Rossio (Screenwriters); John Williams, Aron Warner (Producers).

Premise: Shrek wants to be different from the rest of the ogres. No mean pillaging the countryside, terrorizing the farmers. Shrek wants to be something different -- a brave knight.

Release Date: Summer 2000.

Comments: Sounds like a cool idea - but James Earl Jones has got to be another ogre, somewhere in the picture as well!

Rumors: Late August, 1997... This project comes from honest-to-gosh cloak and dagger spy work. Essentially, DreamWorks is developing a short demo reel (approximately fifteen minutes long) showcasing what they would like to do with this possible feature length film.

(For those out there unfamiliar with the film jargon, a demo reel is considered R & D, kinda like testing out the water to see if what the producers imagine for the final film can actually be created up there on-screen. Lots of pictures employ this activity all the time, especially films in development that will utilize advanced special effects still being designed (or imagined.)

From what we've been told, this is what the demo reel is about: a giant ogre named 'Shrek' terrorizes a human village. The voice of the ogre is provided by SNL alumnus Chris Farley, and the very cool aspect of this is that the ogre is being entirely created in CGI (computer generated imagery.) Our inside source tells us that the guys and gals crafting the test flick are being extremely meticulous with the whole process; they're trying to make it look as seamless and realistic as technologically possible. For example, Shrek is a being made of CGI and the humans are real. But the detail even falls down to the level of where Shrek's shadow is being cast: the shadow's trek over the rooftops is being done seperately from the figure animation and then matched up to fall precisely where the CGI ogre walks - namely, right through the little township. Early test results are said to be amazing.

The whole point of such an exercise is to see if what the filmmakers envision for the proposed film can actually be done, or more precisely, done well enough that the audience can buy it. While no one should get their hopes up too high - remember this is a test film still in the middle of being designed - it does sound like a rather neato use for those pesky silicon boxes we've got.

(It's at this point we can imagine someone closely associated with this project smacking their head. "How the *hell* did this get on the 'Net??!" Sorry guys - we had to do it.)

Scoop Feedback:

September 9, 1997... Another person hears of the 'Shrek' project and reports it to CA. The scooper reports the same basic information we've heard but also adds that the ogre's nemesis is a character called 'Lord Farquar.' DreamWorks is pursuing this as a potential major project but currently has not inked any deals with a major effects house to animate it. Will the project live or die? [Scoop reported by 'Zarquon.]

[Thanks to Mike Sawyer for the correction!]

September 17, 1997... Ask and ye shall receive! Thanks to some friendly and fact-filled scoopers out there we've got some hard information on this DreamWorks project...

"Ok... you folks wanna know more of the deal on Shrek...

Fact is, it's been in pre-production for a long while now. SKG hired a motion capture company to develop it, and it wasted a year (and a lot of money).

"Then, they tried a small crack team that took a couple of months, but they didn't produce what Katzenberg was looking for.

"Now, they're re-tooling all-together. They're looking to have PDI do some of the character work and possibly have miniatures for backgrounds.

"From what I've seen of the character development, it's got some great potential." [Mucho appreciation goes out to ''Grandizer'.]

This scooper whispers to us that Terry Rossio and Ted Elliot (of Aladdin fame) wrote the Shrek screenplay. [Submitted by 'Josh the Sandman'; later confirmed]

An anonymous scooper informs us that this project is based upon a children's book by William Steig. [Submitted anonymously.]

October 7, 1997... This scooper works in the animation business, and "had a few friends working on the demo". The scooper tells that the K in 'DreamWorks SKG', founder Jeffery Katzenberg, saw the 3D demo and the projected cost of the film at the test screening a couple of months ago and "wasn't at all impressed. (I think the word 'dissappointed' was overheard)" The scooper points out that the product in no way justified the end result.

This led to SKG laying off most off the crew, leaving only a skeleton story crew to continue with the work until further notice.

"I saw a bit of the footage, and was actually quite impressed, but from where Katzenberg is coming, I can see why he reacted the way he did. He's gotten so much emotion, character and story accross with 2D mega hits like Aladdin, Lion King and Beauty and the Beast, that it makes no sense to dole out even MORE millions to get (and let's be honest here) less 'character' in the animation...but then again, that's only my opinion. [Scoop reported anonymously.]

Another scooper corrobulates the last entry with their own email. "The initial pre-production work for Shrek was canned in Spring '97 after Katzenberg viewed the 30-second test. The story wasn't there and a complete CGI movie was going to be too expensive. Since then Shrek has been shopped around to various houses, none of whom have been interested. Shrek will probably be PDI's second feature. [Sent in anonymously.]

December 23, 1997... With the surprising death of 33-year-old Chris Farley last week, the future for this project now grows ever darker. One scooper told us that there may have been a forewarning of Farley's fate: on the source tapes provided to the animators for reference for Farley, the actor "looked unkept, sweated profusely and often behaved very strangely (even for Chris)." The scooper also tells us that with Farley no longer with us, the movie has died as well. [Info provided by 'Zarquon'.]

January 20, 1998... The latest Rolling Stone and a two-week-old People magazines mention that while working on his lines for Shrek, the studio had him under 24 hour supervision. [Thanks to 'Snowman' and 'turnbull'.]

Here's a scoop we received a week ago. It arrived anonymously, so we have no means to tell if the scooper is in the right place...

"As someone VERY close to this production, please let me state for the record that many of your 'facts' about Shrek are far outdated and incorrect. Kelly Asbury and Andrew Adamson are directing the project. Ron Tippe has been out of the picture for months. Chris Farley was a great guy and very professional in all of the 12 recording sessions he attended. He will be greatly missed and it was a monumental blow to the production. BUT, his part will be recast and life goes on. The picture is very much a go and is deeply in the storyboarding phase. It will be animated at PDI for release in the year 2000." [Thanks to anonymous.]

And this one completely slipped by our attention, but re-surfaced when we did a database check. 'Grandizer' came back to tell us some more about the origins of the picture. "After that 30 second test that Katzenberg hated, a green light was given to a skeleton crew that produced a piece eight times longer, at ten times the quality, with one tenth the manpower, in 15% of the time.

"How'd that happen... well, it's becuase the first test was mostly motion capture, and it couldn't do the job.

"Alas, the other test was nixed for not being in the style the big K was looking for, and now it looks like PDI may handle the project." That was last October, and it looks like the PDI stuff is true blue. ['Grandizer' scoop pulled ou`t of the cryo-vault and de-thawed for your reading enjoyment.]

March 12, 1998... Ah, finally an update on the project. Let's type out what was on this audiocassette mailed to CA the other day...

CLIK!

"Here is the latest on Shrek:

"The FIRST ACT of the story has been completely retooled and now makes the story about a young ogre, living in a classic fairy tale world, who decides to try and become a knight. He refuses to be the bad guy, like all the other ogres throughout history. Theres a dragon, a talking donkey, an enchanted princess, a wicked witch, and an evil Regent who wants to rule the known world...all the elements needed for a ripping good tale with lots of satirical humor.

"Cameron Diaz is now the voice of the princess, replacing Janeane Garofalo. Eddie Murphy is still the donkey and the villian is voiced by John Lithgow. Linda Hunt provides the voice of the witch. Casting for a new Shrek continues, but there are good possibilities, including such diverse names a s Nick Cage, Tom Cruise, Leonardo DiCaprio and Phillip (Boogie Nights, Twister, The Big Lobowski) Hoffman.

"John Garbett has stepped down as producer. At this writing, Aron Warner (Antz) has taken on the job. A co-producer is being sought.

"Release is still scheduled for summer 2000.

"This troubled film is quickly and effectively rising from it's own ashes and will spring triumphant when it crosses the finish line in 2 years. Expect the best!"

CLIK!

Damn if that didn't sound just like Kathleen Turner circa 1982, around the time she was in Body Heat...(Nervous figiting)... Uh, on that note, let's play the tape again...y'know, just to make sure we got all of it down right, you know?

[Scoop sent in anonymously.]

October 11, 1998...According to an anonymous scooper, Asbury has left the director's chair and been replaced by Vicki Jensen. As the scooper states, "The fun never stops on this show." Indeed. [Scoop reported anonymously.]

October 20, 1998... Another anonymous scoop confirming what we've already been told: "It is true that Kelly Asbury has indeed left his directing post on Shrek. He will now co-Direct Spirit of the West for DreamWorks. [Katzenberg] has NEVER taken a director off of one show to put him on another. This is either a sign of his faith in Asbury or his lack of faith in Shrek. Time will tell. This makes 3 directors and 4 producers that this show has eaten up and spat out." And we'll have fun fun fun till daddy takes the animators away, I guess. [Turned in by anonymous.]



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