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 and reshaped what a family film could be, pairing fairy tale parody with a sly, adult wit that box office and critics alike embraced. It won the first Academy Award for Best Animated Feature and became a cultural touchstone, spawning sequels and a franchise that redefined animated storytelling for a generation. Its irreverent humor, willingness to subvert Disney conventions, and unexpected emotional depth set a new template for the genre, ensuring its lasting place in film history.
This cell centers on Shrek himself, the ogre whose gruff exterior and unlikely heroism carry the entire franchise. As the title character, he anchors the film's identity, making any strip bearing his name essential to a Shrek collection. A single-subject cell like this, isolating the ogre without supporting characters, invites focus on his design and presence alone, the kind of foundational image collectors seek when building around a franchise's central figure rather than its ensemble moments.
Authentication Findings8 checks
Consistent with a 35mm theatrical release print of Shrek (2001).
Gauge
35mm, confirmed by four perforations per frame visible on the top edge; the strip holds three frames.
Perforations
Four per frame on the top edge; bottom edge perforations are also visible and appear evenly spaced with cleanly punched rounded-rectangular apertures.
Soundtrack
A variable-area optical soundtrack track is visible running along the inner edge beside the picture area on the bottom portion of the strip, consistent with an analog optical track; Dolby Digital pixel blocks appear present in the inter-perforation gaps on the bottom edge.
Edge print
Not visible in this capture at sufficient resolution to read any key numbers or manufacturer text.
Base & colour
Base appears with a light cyan-blue tint consistent with a dye-based color print stock; dye image appears neutral with no obvious red shift or fading.
Projection history
Light horizontal scratching is visible across the frame area, consistent with a print that has passed through a projector gate.
Picture
Positive color image; the first two frames appear to be consecutive frames of the same shot, and the third frame transitions to a darker scene; the green character visible is consistent with the animated film on record.
Era check
The combination of analog variable-area optical track, apparent Dolby Digital inter-perforation data blocks, cyan-base color stock, and positive print format 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 000063156
Original Film CaptureAs received
Photographed on the light panel at intake, before encapsulation — tap to open full size
Tap to enlarge
