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, released in the wake of Disney's fairy-tale dominance and Pixar's rise, and it reshaped what an animated feature could be. Directed by Andrew Adamson and Vicky Jenson, it paired irreverent humor with genuine warmth, subverting the princess narrative it borrowed from. Its success, both critical and commercial, helped establish DreamWorks as a major animation studio and earned the first Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. The film's blend of pop culture references, memorable voice work, and unexpected tenderness made it a defining piece of early 2000s cinema.
This cell centers on the Dragon, one of the film's most memorable supporting figures, guarding the tower where Fiona waits and later becoming an unlikely ally to Donkey. Collectors seek this character for the sheer novelty of a fire-breathing guardian who defies typical villain expectations. As a single frame drawn from 35mm stock, this piece represents a physical artifact of hand-selected animation history, a tactile connection to a character whose brief but vivid presence helped round out the film's inventive supporting cast.
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 appear clean with no visible tearing.
Soundtrack
A variable-area optical track is visible running along the lower edge between the picture and the lower perforation row, with what appears to be a Dolby Digital data-block strip also present in that region.
Edge print
Not visible in this capture at sufficient resolution to read any key numbers or manufacturer text.
Base & colour
The base carries a faint cyan-blue tint consistent with modern safety stock; the dye image reads with strong reds and deep purples, showing no visible fading.
Projection history
No splices, cue marks or prominent scratches are visible in this capture.
Picture
Positive colour image; all three frames appear to be consecutive frames from a single shot, and the subject matter is consistent with an animated feature matching the film on record.
Era check
The cyan-tinted polyester base, Dolby Digital data blocks alongside a variable-area optical track, and positive colour print format are all 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 000063177
Original Film CaptureAs received
Photographed on the light panel at intake, before encapsulation — tap to open full size
Tap to enlarge
