Mike Myers says his kids aren’t impressed that he’s the voice of the animated ogre Myers struck gold with the DreamWorks franchise, which began in 2001 and launched a series of three sequels. Along with the original films, the series has also spawned several theatrical spin-offs, straight-to-video releases, video games, and Shrek the Musical, a 2008 stage production.
Originally adapted from the 1990 picture book Shrek! by author and illustrator William Steig, the DreamWorks feature-length film didn’t immediately have Myers as the lead. Steven Spielberg, who had seen potential in Steig’s book and decided to purchase the rights to it, was initially set on Bill Murray voicing the eponymous character. In time, however, the decision was made to cast fellow SNL alum Chris Farley. Unfortunately, Farley ed away in December of 1997. As a result, Myers stepped up to take over, bringing his own unique touches to the character. Having received an encouraging response from audiences for his Scottish-accented Fat Bastard character in two Austin Powers films, Myers transferred the accent to Shrek, creating an iconic animated character in the process.
But while the Shrek franchise could arguably be considered the biggest success of Myers’ extensive comedic career, it has somewhat failed to impress several very important critics: Myers' own children. As CBR reports, the 58-year-old recently discussed which films of his that his children have seen. Surprisingly enough, Shrek didn’t quite make the same sort of impact with them that it did with audiences two decades earlier. itting that the kids were invested in pointing out plot holes in the film, Meyers explained:
"They, um, they love Cat in the Hat. The oldest has seen Austin Powers one. They didn't really care for Shrek much. And it was, um, it's absolutely true. And, but I have tough, these are tough New Yorkers... Yeah, there's a lot of 'dad that would never happen, a talking donkey would never say that. No, he's very, um, they're just New Yorkers, dude. You know, they're, they're a tough crowd, but when they like something, they love it. And uh, Spike has Austin Powers one memorized. And, uh, my youngest is, and she's not a fan. She's tough. She's tough. She's a New Yorker this kid."
Many Myers fans will likely find it more than a little surprising that the comedian’s children didn’t like Shrek yet loved The Cat in the Hat. The 2003 adaptation of the beloved Dr. Seuss children’s book was one of the biggest box office bombs of Myers’ career, the likes of which marked a particularly dry period in his creative endeavors. Of course, Shrek isn’t for everyone, and more than a few Myers fans will agree with the star’s son that the first Austin Powers is worth repeat viewings. A fourth Austin Powers film has reportedly been in the works for years now, and perhaps Myers will take his son’s enjoyment of the first film as proof that the franchise could still find success with a modern audience.
Yet, before Myers moves forward with Austin Powers 4, he’ll likely have to score big with his Netflix series, The Pentaverate. The series sees Myers back to his old tricks once again, taking on numerous roles in a comedic political thriller. As far as Shrek is concerned, however, a fifth installment was announced in 2016, with a 2019 release predicted. Clearly, the film still hasn’t arrived and many questions remain surrounding its production. That might not mean much to Myers’ kids, but for many fans, another Shrek film is long overdue.
Source: CBR
