Mike Myers Finally Returning To His Funniest Franchise?
Puss in Boots: The Last Wish teased a return to Far, Far, Away, and now Antonio Banderas has hinted that Mike Myers might be back as the greatest hero in the history of cinema, Shrek.
Somebody once told me that an all-star may be going back to not only his greatest franchise but one of the all-time greatest franchises in movie history. That somebody is Puss in Boots star Antonio Banderas talking to RadioTimes about his latest blockbuster Shrek spin-off. During the discussion, the Haywire star mentions how Mike Myers famous green ogre may be involved in the near future.
While talking about a third film in his own Puss in Boots series, Antonio Banderas mentions “Or as the movie indicates towards the end when you see Far Far Away, they are going to visit some old friends at the end of the movie – maybe Shrek is coming back.” The heartthrob is in danger of breaking hearts across the world with this cruel tease of Shrek’s return. It’s been 12 long years since Mike Myers pretended to have a Scottish accent and the world could use a little hope right now.
Puss in Boots: The Last Wish has been a runaway success since it released late last year. The animated film is on pace to break $400 million at the worldwide box office, making it the second biggest film of the entire franchise, coming in behind the iconic Shrek 2. Mike Myer’s greatest films may have earned less and less as time went on, but the past 12 years has led to a critical reevaluation of the franchise with fans flocking around the green ogre, his beautiful bride, and their four-legged bestfriend.
Mike Myers first played the greatest character in movie history in 2001, joined by Cameron Diaz as Princess Fiona, John Lithgow as the evil and compensating Lord Farquad, and Eddie Murphy as Donkey. Shrek was created to parody the classic animated fairy tales coming from Disney and it was not meant to earn $267 million dollars on the way to earning an Oscar. While the first film was a blockbuster that is still quoted today, Shrek is just like Star Wars in that the second film is the best of the franchise.
Shrek 2 is widely considered to be one of the greatest films of all time. Mike Myers usually has bad luck with sequels, notably Wayne’s World 2 and Austin Powers 2 failing to capture the magic of the original installments, but his second outing as the philosophical green ogre expanded on everything that made the first film a classic. From increasing the ensemble, including Antonio Banderas first appearance as Puss in Boots, to amazing musical numbers, Shrek 2 is a masterpiece.
Mike Myers and Eddie Murphy are clearly more comfortable in their roles, letting the goofs fly fast and furious throughout, from the most annoying road trip ever to getting Pinocchio to lie. With a crowd-pleasing ending number of “Holding Out For A Hero” performed by Jennifer Saunders as the Fairy Godmother, Shrek 2 included character development, advanced the franchise’s story forward, made the audience laugh, and even made heartbreak feel good in a movie theater.
If Antonio Banderas isn’t a dirty liar and the world is really on the cusp of receiving the incredible gift of a fifth Shrek film, then fans can look forward to a theater experience like no other. Mike Myers should return to his layered role as Shrek, Cameron Diaz should come out of retirement, and Eddie Murphy needs to get back into the recording booth. A great philosopher once said that what the world needs now is love, but what we really need, is Shrek. Shrek is love.
