National Film RegistryLibrary of Congress · Inducted 2020
“Even by DreamWorks standards, the charm and magic of "Shrek" seemed extraordinary upon its initial release almost 20 years ago — and its power has yet to diminish in the intervening years.”
Selected for preservation as culturally, historically or aesthetically significant.
Directed by
Andrew Adamson, Vicky Jenson
Studio
DreamWorks · DreamWorks Animation · Pacific Data Images · 90 min
Box office
$488.4M worldwide on a $60M budget
Honors
Academy Awards — 1 win, 2 nominationsAnnie Awards — 1 winBritish Academy Film Awards — 1 winCritics' Choice Movie Award — 1 winAll 4 wins · 3 nominations on record
Academy Awards: Best Animated Feature
Annie Awards: Best Animated Feature
British Academy Film Awards: BAFTA's Children & Young People Award - Feature Film
Critics' Choice Movie Award: Best Animated Feature
Scholarship
Named in the title of 17 peer-reviewed works
Examples
Sources: Wikidata · Library of Congress · OpenAlex. The record of the motion picture, not an assessment of this cell.
FILM NOTES
Shrek arrived from DreamWorks Animation in 2001, a fairy tale told from the ogre's side that upended a decade of studio convention. Built on William Steig's book and voiced by Mike Myers, it paired irreverent humor with pointed jabs at fairy tale tropes and Disney formula, becoming a cultural landmark that reshaped animated comedy and helped establish DreamWorks as a genuine rival in the field. Its success at the box office and at the newly created Best Animated Feature Oscar marked a turning point for the medium.
This cell centers on Shrek himself, the ogre whose gruff exterior and reluctant heroism made him one of animation's most enduring figures. As the sole presence in frame, this reel isolates the character at the heart of the story, without supporting cast or setting to share the spotlight. For collectors, a solo Shrek cell represents the purest form of character material: the figure who carries the franchise's identity, appearing here on his own terms straight from the film's original 35mm printing elements.
Authentication Findings8 checks
Consistent with a 35mm theatrical release print of Shrek (2001).
Gauge
35mm, confirmed by four perforations per frame on both edges; the strip holds three frames.
Perforations
Four per frame on both edges; spacing appears even and the punched edges look clean with no torn or missing perforations visible.
Soundtrack
A variable-area optical track is visible below the picture area, with what appears to be a Dolby Digital data block strip and a DTS timecode line also present between the lower perforation row and the picture, consistent with a multi-format release print.
Edge print
Not visible in this capture.
Base & colour
The base shows a light cyan-blue tint typical of modern safety polyester stock; the dye image appears neutral with no visible fading or red shift.
Projection history
No scratches, splice marks, or cue marks are visible in this capture.
Picture
Positive colour image; all three frames appear to be from the same continuous shot and the green character visible is consistent with the animated feature Shrek (2001).
Era check
The combination of polyester cyan-tinted base, multi-format soundtrack cluster (variable-area optical, Dolby Digital data blocks, and DTS timecode line) is consistent with a theatrical release print from the early 2000s.
Read from the original intake capture shown below. Observations only — film is authenticated, not graded.
This original motion picture film element has been examined and authenticated by Crown Grading in partnership with National Film Vault, and encapsulated for archival preservation.
Why so little survivesRelease prints were leased to theaters, not sold. When the run ended they went back to the distributor to be destroyed, and most were. What collectors hold today came from the prints that escaped that order, and no new 35mm prints of these films are being struck.
CROWN SERIAL 000063153
Original Film CaptureAs received
Photographed on the light panel at intake, before encapsulation — tap to open full size
Tap to enlarge
