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 mainstream animated comedy almost overnight. Directed by Andrew Adamson and Vicky Jenson, it paired fairy tale pastiche with sly, adult-aware humor, becoming a cultural touchstone and the first winner of the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. Its success helped establish DreamWorks as a genuine rival to Pixar and Disney, proving that irreverence and heart could coexist in the same frame. The film's box office triumph and lasting fandom mean strips from its original 35mm release carry real historical weight for collectors of early 2000s animation history.
This cell centers on Shrek himself, the ogre whose reluctant heroism and dry wit anchor the entire franchise. As the title character, he is the most sought-after figure in any Shrek reel, representing the film's core identity rather than a supporting beat. A cell bearing his name alone suggests a moment built around his presence as protagonist, a foundational image tied directly to the character's introduction or defining screen presence rather than a shared scene. For collectors, that singularity is the appeal.
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, evenly spaced; punched edges appear clean with no torn or deformed holes visible.
Soundtrack
A variable-area optical track is visible running along one edge beside the picture area, with what appears to be a Dolby Digital data-block strip in the inter-perforation zone on the same edge; a DTS timecode line appears as a dashed blue line along the lower edge.
Edge print
Not visible in this capture at sufficient resolution to read manufacturer codes or key numbers.
Base & colour
Base shows a light cyan-blue tint consistent with a colour print stock; dye image appears neutral with no obvious red shift or fading.
Projection history
Light longitudinal lines are visible running the length of the strip, consistent with projection wear; no splices or cue marks are seen.
Picture
Positive colour image; all three frames appear to be consecutive frames from a single shot, and the animated character visible is consistent with the DreamWorks animated feature Shrek (2001).
Era check
The combination of Dolby Digital data blocks, DTS timecode line, and variable-area optical track on a cyan-base colour print stock is consistent with a theatrical release print from the early 2000s, matching the 2001 release of the film on record.
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 000063236
Original Film CaptureAs received
Photographed on the light panel at intake, before encapsulation — tap to open full size
Tap to enlarge
