When it comes to animation history, there are some films that will forever remain important milestones of the genre. From Disney’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs to Cinderella, to the monumental hit that is Frozen, each picture represents an important breakthrough for the art form. But, while Disney’s achievements may be among the first films audiences remember when discussing animation, one cannot discount the important and historic work accomplished by DreamWorks, specifically the studio’s seminal classic, Shrek. The story of the titular ogre (Mike Myers), his sidekick, Donkey (Eddie Murphy) and his feisty, independent love interest, Fiona (Cameron Diaz) is an important step in the development of 3D animation, and remains a pop-culture icon that inspired a franchise, theme park attractions, and even a Broadway musical. However, long before Shrek was lighting up the big screen or singing on stage, he was a humble children’s book character, whose film was nearly derailed by a dynamic yet misguided form of movie making.
‘Shrek’ Started Out as a Bizarre Children’s Book

Like many classic movies, Shrek started out in the literary world. Written by William Steig, Shrek! is a children’s fairy tale with a twist. Like his film counterpart, Shrek isn’t exactly conventionally attractive. However, the film took quite a few liberties. His parents send him out into the world, after they tire of his constant “hissing.” Along the way, Shrek encounters all sorts of threats and creatures. From a fortune-telling witch, who is made woozy by Shrek’s vile stench, before predicting he will meet a donkey and marry a princess, to his encounter with a knight, Shrek wreaks all sorts of havoc on the fairytale forest. The book ultimately culminates with Shrek meeting a princess who is said to be even more homely than he is, and the couple is deemed so ugly that no priest will marry them, so they have to resort to their nuptials being performed by a crocodile.

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Filled with surprisingly dark humor and a rather odd approach to storytelling, the book doesn’t necessarily sound like it has the makings of the classic film universe we know and love today. However, DreamWorks was up for the task. Still in its infancy at the time, the studio, co-founded by Steven Spielberg, took on a slew of original projects, one of them, of course, being Shrek. But the execution of the film was originally going to be quite different and exceedingly groundbreaking.
‘Shrek’ Was Originally Going to Combine Several Methods of Filmmaking

Some of the greatest films of all time are those that pushed the very boundaries of movie making. Whether it be arthouse cinema, or commercial spectacles, the art form thrives when it’s being challenged, and Shrek was set to be one of the most ambitious pieces of animation ever attempted. In an archived article from 1997, Business Wire revealed that DreamWorks had hired motion capture company, MotionAnalysis Corp., to take on the production. Initially, Shrek was going to utilize the technology to animate the film. The method was still very much in its infancy, and would not be seen in a full format until 2001’s notorious flop, Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within. What’s more, Shrek was out to push boundaries even further when it came to its sets.
As stated by Gizmodo, Shrek was going to utilize real sets, built in miniature form, and then combine them with the motion capture animation. While combining 2D animation with live-action had been achieved with films like Who Framed Roger Rabbit?, Shrek’s ambition was truly groundbreaking. Indeed, the efforts would have been groundbreaking. So, what happened?
A Screen Test Derailed ‘Shrek’s Ambition

Image via DreamWorks Pictures

Shrek may have had big ideas, but a screen test revealed that the animation as a whole was not working. The test, which has become known as the “Shrek: I Feel Good” test, was conducted in 1995, back when Chris Farley was attached to play everyone’s favorite ogre, prior to his passing. The results of the test have since become known as infamously terrible. In fact, according to Jim Hill Media, studio co-founder, Jeffrey Katzenberg said that the test “looked terrible,” further elaborating that “it didn’t work, it wasn’t funny, and we didn’t like it.” But was it truly that horrible? Well, audiences had the chance to find out when it was released on YouTube, and, indeed, it doesn’t quite work. In a way, watching the test today puts a lot of the discourse around the upcoming Shrek 5’s change in animation style into perspective. While the efforts were valiant, they certainly do not look as though they were the groundwork for a classic. Luckily, DreamWorks ultimately abandoned the idea and went on to create a piece of animation that remains among the most beloved and profound of the genre.
The continued relevance of Shrek cannot be overstated. Its characters, music and animation remain among the genre’s best. And while there is a case to be made for the efforts of DreamWorks to make a groundbreaking, stylish film that should still be applauded for their creativity, we’re incredibly grateful that the studio opted to abandon their original execution. The movie’s merits remain impressive, and have aged beautifully, something that could not have been said had the studio pursued its original ideas. And as the release of Shrek 5 draws nearer, it seems that Shrek and the gang will continue to entertain us for years to come.

Shrek

Release Date

May 18, 2001

Runtime

90 minutes

Director

Andrew Adamson, Vicky Jenson

Writers

J.M. Barrie, Carlo Collodi, William Steig, Terry Rossio, Joe Stillman, Ted Elliott, Roger S.H. Schulman

Producers

Aron Warner, David Lipman, Jeffrey Katzenberg, John H. Williams, Penney Finkelman Cox

Shrek / Blind Mouse (voice)

Eddie Murphy

Donkey (voice)