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 in 2001 as a defining swing against the fairy tale conventions Disney had spent decades perfecting. Built on William Steig's book, it paired Mike Myers's ogre with a cast that turned princess-movie logic inside out, and its success (a Best Animated Feature Oscar, sequels, a franchise) reshaped what family animation could look and sound like. The film's willingness to poke fun at its own genre, layered with pop culture gags and a soundtrack that leaned pop rather than orchestral, made it a genuine cultural marker for the era rather than a passing kids' hit.
This cell isolates Shrek himself, the character whose presence alone carries the film's premise: an ogre positioned as protagonist rather than monster, gruff and reluctant to fit anyone's expectations of a hero. Collectors seek him out because he is the anchor of the entire franchise, the figure whose design and attitude launched a new animation house's identity. A single-character cell like this works well as a foundational piece, a straightforward reel artifact rather than a scene-specific highlight, useful to anyone building a collection around the character's introduction to the genre he upended.
Authentication Findings8 checks
Consistent with a 35mm theatrical release print of Shrek (2001).
Gauge
35mm, confirmed by four perforations per frame visible 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 running along one edge beside the picture area, consistent with a standard optical release print.
Edge print
Not visible in this capture at the resolution and angle shown.
Base & colour
The base shows a light cyan-blue tint typical of modern safety stock; the dye image appears neutral with no visible fading or red shift.
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 animated character visible is consistent with Shrek (2001).
Era check
The cyan-tinted polyester safety base, variable-area optical soundtrack, and perforation style 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 000063233
Original Film CaptureAs received
Photographed on the light panel at intake, before encapsulation — tap to open full size
Tap to enlarge
