The success of Shrek as an iconic early-2000s film was something its directors never anticipated during production.
In an interview with People, Vicky Jenson, who co-directed the 2001 film, deemed the critical acclaim Shrek garnered as a “big surprise” to her and the entire team.
“It just felt very small because it was a tight team,” Jenson explained, recalling how much of the production took place outside the main DreamWorks Animation studio in Glendale. “We felt like we were on our own for a lot of the time.”
According to Jenson, it wasn’t until certain sequences started coming back from lighting and the team began watching complete screenings that they realized they were working on something special.
“We were going, ‘Wow, this… this is different,'” she said. “It could either work really well or not at all.”
It wasn’t until Shrek debuted at the Cannes Film Festival that Jenson and the rest of the DreamWorks team realized the film had the potential to make a lasting impact on the industry.
Upon its release in 2001, Shrek quickly became one of the year’s highest-grossing films, only behind Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.
The animated film not only received widespread critical acclaim but also earned international recognition, leading to several sequels with Shrek 5 already confirmed to be in the works