Myers, murphy and Diaz back for 'Shrek 2'
( 2002-01-26 12:16 ) (7 )

Shrek

The ogre, his sidekick donkey and the princess they rescue, will all return with their familiar voices when ``Shrek 2'' finally makes it to the big screen.

The three stars of the original ``Shrek'' -- Mike Myers as the green-skinned title ogre, Eddie Murphy as Donkey and Cameron Diaz as Princess Fionna-- have all committed to a planned sequel to the computer-animated hit, a DreamWorks SKG official said on Friday.

``They're not recording yet because the final script isn't done yet, but they've all signed on,'' studio spokesman Chip Sullivan said.

As for John Lithgow, who voiced the evil but diminutive Lord Farquad in the original film, ``he was eaten in the end, so I don't know whether he comes back or not,'' Sullivan added.

The blockbuster storybook spoof was a smash hit for ''DreamWorks,'' grossing nearly $900 million in movie, video and DVD revenues since its release last May, including more than $470 million at box offices worldwide.

The critically acclaimed film also has generated Oscar buzz, mentioned as a possible candidate for best picture of 2001 and a near-certain contender for the new Academy Award for best animated film.

``Shrek 2,'' expected for a 2004 release, is being co-written by Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio, the same team behind the original ``Shrek'' and the 1992 hit Disney-animated film ''Aladdin.'' Voice work for the original film reportedly took four years to record, with several stops and starts.

Terms of the deals DreamWorks signed with Myers, Murphy and Diaz for ``Shrek 2'' were not disclosed. But Daily Variety reported last summer that they stood to earn as much as $5 million each, including a large up-front payment.

According to Variety, the three performers made roughly $3 million each for the original ``Shrek,'' based on their share of the domestic box office gross, which then stood at $240 million and went on to reach more than $267 million.