Development
Shrek Art Director Douglas Rogers visited what place for inspiration for Shrek's swamp?
Shrek
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Although Steven Spielberg had planned, when he bought the rights in 1991, Bill Murray to play Shrek, DreamWorks, when they bought the rights to the book 4 years later, in 1996 planned Chris Farley to voice Shrek. Farley had recorded 80 to 90% (or 95% according to his father Tom) of the dialogue for the character, but died in December 1997 before completing the project. This would result in development of the film being scrapped involving storyboards and six recording sessions, which cost $34 million alone. "Shrek" screenwriter Terry Rossio describes Farley's vocal performance as "the good hearted young ogre as being extraordinary". DreamWorks then re-cast the voice role to Mike Myers, who insisted on a complete script rewrite, to leave no traces of Farley's version of Shrek. After Myers had completed providing the voice for the character, after a February 2000 rough cut of the film, he asked to re-record all of his lines in a Scottish accent similar to the one his mother had used when she told him bedtime stories and also used in previous films he was in such as, "So I Married an Axe Murderer" (1993) and "" (1999). Myers explained his decision, "There is a class struggle in "Shrek" between the fairy-tale kings and queens and the common people. I always thought that Shrek was raised working-class. And since Lord Farquaad (the villain) was played English, I thought of Scottish". After hearing the alternative, Katzenberg agreed to redo scenes in the film, saying, "It was so good we took $4m worth of animation out and did it again. "Myers stated that why he was interested in voicing the character was due to his memories with his mother of acting out fairy tales:Myers later reported: "I got a letter from Spielberg thanking me so much for caring about the character... And he said the Scottish accent had improved the movie." Some early sketches of 'Shrek's house were done in 1996 through 1997 using Photoshop, with the sketches showing Shrek first living in a garbage dump near a human village called Wart Creek. It was also thought one time that he lived with his parents and kept rotting fish in his bedroom. Art Director Douglas Rogers visited a magnolia plantation in Charleston, South Carolina for inspiration for Shrek's swamp. 
At the time DreamWorks was founded, producer John H. Williams got hold of the book from his children, and when he brought it to DreamWorks, it caught Jeffrey Katzenberg's attention and the studio decided to make it into a movie. Recounting the inspiration of making the film, Williams said: After buying the rights to the film, Katzenberg quickly put the film in active development in November 1995. Steven Spielberg had thought about making a traditionally animated film of the book before, when he bought the rights to the book in 1991, before the founding of DreamWorks, where Bill Murray would play Shrek and Steve Martin would play Donkey. In the beginning of production, co-director Andrew Adamson refused to be intimidated by Katzenberg, and had an argument with him how much should the film appeal to adults. Katzenberg wanted both audiences, but he found some of Adamson's ideas about adding sexual jokes and Guns N' Roses music to the soundtrack a bit too outrageous. Andrew Adamson and Kelly Asbury joined in 1997 to co-direct the film. However, Asbury left a year later for work on the 2002 film "", and was replaced with story artist Vicky Jenson. Both Adamson and Jenson decided to work on the film in half, so the crew could at least know who to go to with specific detail questions about the film's sequences; "We both ended up doing a lot of everything", Adamson said. "We're both kinda control freaks, and we both wanted to do everything. "Some early sketches of Shrek's house were done in 1996 through 1997 using Photoshop, with the sketches showing Shrek first living in a garbage dump near a human village called Wart Creek. It was also thought one time that he lived with his parents and kept rotting fish in his bedroom. Donkey was modeled after "Pericles" (born 1994; also known as "Perry"), a real miniature donkey from Barron Park, Palo Alto, California. Raman Hui, supervising animator of "Shrek", stated that Fiona "wasn't based on any real person." and he did many different sketches for Princess Fiona and had done over 100 sculptures of Fiona before the directors picked the final design. In early development, the Art Directors visited Hearst Castle, Stratford upon Avon and Dordogne for inspiration. Art Director Douglas Rogers visited a magnolia plantation in Charleston, South Carolina for inspiration for Shrek's swamp. Planned characters not used in the film include Goldilocks and Sleeping Beauty.
The special is set shortly after the events of "Shrek the Third" (and before the events of "Shrek Forever After"), as Shrek and Fiona's children are still infants. Shrek (Mike Myers) is quietly living in the swamp with his family when the Christmas season arrives. Under Donkey's (Eddie Murphy) urging, Shrek reluctantly promises Princess Fiona (Cameron Diaz) a special Christmas surprise. Shrek goes to the local bookstore in Far, Far Away to try to find a present for Fiona, but since he does not know what Christmas is all about, the shopkeeper (Marissa Jaret Winokur) gives Shrek a copy of "Christmas For Village Idiots", a step-by-step guide to celebrating the holiday. Shrek proceeds to follow the book's advice by decorating the house and getting a tree so he can spend a quiet Christmas Eve with his family, but Donkey brings the entire "family" to the swamp, ruining Shrek's plans. As Shrek tries to tell his own version of "A Visit from St. Nicholas (The Night Before Christmas)"; Gingy, Donkey, and Puss in Boots (Antonio Banderas) interrupt and each tell their own version of a Christmas story. Donkey tells of floats coming to the swamp. At the end, Donkey tells of licking an enormous Santa figure that is made out of waffles, but in reality he accidentally starts licking Shrek's leg. Puss tells his version of the story of Santa Claus, but ends up playing with the ball point of his Santa hat, while in reality he is playing with one of the baubles from the christmas tree. However, Gingy's story is not happy, but horrifying, as he tells about how his girlfriend Suzy got eaten up by Santa Claus. To which Donkey finds it unbelievable, with Gingy screaming "You weren't there!". Donkey finds Shrek's "Christmas for Village Idiots" book, and the ensuing fight over the book destroys all of Shrek's decorations, furniture and the tree. Shrek then loses his temper and ends up ejecting his friends from his house. With the Christmas spirit ruined, Fiona and Shrek have a talk, after which she takes the children and leaves the swamp to go and apologize to their friends. Shrek feels downhearted that Christmas Eve did not go as he hoped it would, and he looks at one of Donkey's Christmas cards that says, "From Donkey & family". Fiona catches up to their friends and explains to Donkey what Shrek had wanted for Christmas. Shrek catches up with the group, and apologizes for losing his temper. Donkey is shocked to learn that this is Shrek's first Christmas, because "ogres don't celebrate anything." Donkey also apologizes for being annoying, and explains that Christmas never goes as planned and according to his mother, "'Christmas ain't Christmas until somebody cries', and that's usually me. "After a snowball fight, the friends return to the swamp, and Shrek tells his story, featuring Ogre Claus. Soon they hear bells and go outside to see Santa and his reindeer, although Gingy runs back inside screaming in terror. 
  Cyclops Girl - She is Cyclops's beautiful little daughter. Sweet little one-eye appears briefly in "Shrek the Third" and loves her father. Her father brings his sweet little cyclops to work on "Bring your Kids to work Day", where Shrek is surprised to see her, but then gives the little cyclops a rub on the head and a compliment, telling her dad "She's got your eye". Gnome - The Gnome appears in the Seattle Try-out & Broadway Line-Up of "Shrek the Musical" amongst the fairy tale characters that are banished to Shrek's swamp. Hansel and Gretel - Hansel and Gretel appear in the second film's royal ball, walking on the red carpet and happy about Fiona's wedding. They appear to throw bread on the ground, puzzling the Joan Rivers-like commentator at the ball. They are also mentioned by the Fairy Godmother while she finds that ogres don't live happily ever after. Little Boy Blue - He grew up alongside Puss in Boots and Humpty Dumpty in the San Ricardo Orphanage and bullied the latter. His skin is blue. Little Red Riding Hood - Little Red Riding Hood is shown at the beginning of "Shrek 2", coming to the gingerbread and cake house (from Hansel and Gretel) and running away leaving her basket behind after seeing Shrek and Fiona as ogres. She also appears in "Shrek 2" the game, as a professional softball pitcher. Her slam is Basket of Utter Destruction. She has a different appearance in the two productions. She makes a cameo in "Shrek the Third", where she picks a dwarf's pockets while cloaked in her red hood. In "Shrek the Third", someone that might be Little Red Riding Hood was seen pickpocketing someone. She appears as a racer in the game "Shrek Smash and Crash Racing". Her name in it is simply "Red Riding Hood", but her appearance is the same as in "Shrek 2". Her kart is the Big Bad Wolf, and her personal item is a picnic basket. Mad Hatter - The Mad Hatter appears in the West End Line-Up version of "Shrek the Musical" amongst the fairy tale character that are banished to Shrek's swamp. Mister Geppetto - Mr. Gepetto is Pinocchio's father. He is seen selling Pinocchio to Farquaad's army in the first film. In "Shrek Forever After" Pinocchio tries to pass him off to Rumpelstiltskin as Shrek. Miss Toad - Miss Toad is seen at the Poison Apple Bar in the second film. She could be the toad that kidnapped Thumbelina. Peter Pan - Peter Pan is seen in the first film waiting in line to sell Tinkerbell. His only line in the film is "He can fly!" (delivered when Tinkerbell inadvertently sprinkles fairy dust on Donkey). In "Shrek the Third", Captain Hook mistakes a small boy in Far Far Away for Peter Pan. Seven Dwarfs - Snow White's seven dwarves appear in the first film carrying Snow White's coffin. When the place the coffin on the table, Shrek says "Oh no! Dead girl off the table." One of the Dwarfs says "Where else are we supposed to put it? The bed's already been taken" as Shrek finds the Big Bad Wolf in his bed. They are seen again in "Shrek 2", when they give Shrek a ring engraved with "I love you" in flaming letters for Fiona (in an allusion to the One Ring from "The Lord of the Rings"). In "Shrek the Third", one of them (Grumpy) is given to Fiona as a wedding present (as a babysitter) from Snow White who says she has six more at home. They are seen at the end of "Scared Shrekless" when Shrek and Fiona celebrate by egging them. Shoemaker's Elf - Based on one of the elves from "The Elves and the Shoemaker", it appears in the Seattle Try-out & Broadway Line-Up and US National Tour Line-Up versions of "Shrek the Musical amongst the fairy tale characters that are banished to Shrek's swamp. Sugarplum Fairy - Based on the Sugarplum Fairies from "The Nutcracker", the Sugarplum Fairy appears in all three versions of "Shrek the Musical" amongst the fairy tale characters that are banished to Shrek's swamp. The Little Mermaid - A mermaid resembling Ariel from the Disney film "The Little Mermaid" makes a cameo appearance during the "Accidentally in Love" scene in "Shrek 2", when Shrek and Fiona are on the beach during their honeymoon. A wave comes in and then goes back out, leaving her on top of Shrek, kissing him. Fiona throws her back into the sea, where she is eaten by sharks (though it is not certain whether she is eaten by sharks or merely attacked). The Old Lady in the Shoe - Her house is seen when Lord Farquaad consigns all the fairytale characters to Shrek's swamp. She was under the shoe with her children. The Three Bears - Papa Bear, Mama Bear, and Baby Bear (voiced by Bobby Block) appear in the first film among the fairytale characters captured by Lord Farquaad's troops as Baby Bear tells his parents "This cage is too small." They are among the fairy tale character that are sent to Shrek's swamp, and in the party at the end of the film. In "Shrek Smash and Crash Racing", Papa Bear is used as a kart for Goldilocks, but is not a playable character. In "Shrek Superslam", there is a bearskin rug (most likely Mama Bear, as there was a bow on her head) in one of the secret arenas. The Ugly Duckling - The Ugly Duckling appeared in all three versions of "Shrek the Musical" amongst the fairy tale characters that are banished to Shrek's swamp. Tinker Bell - Tinker Bell is almost sold by Peter Pan in the first film, and it is her "fairy dust" that allows Donkey to fly temporarily. In "Shrek 2" she dances with Gingy during the "Far Far Away Idol" and is used as lighting for a mud bath. She uses her magic to turn Puss's boots into dancing ones during the "Far Far Away Idols". She is also a player in "Shrek 2 the video game", helping to rescue Shrek, Donkey, Puss, Little Red Riding Hood, the Big Bad Wolf and the Gingerbread Man. In the game "Shrek Smash and Crash Racing", she makes a cameo in the Potion Factory Exterior Track. She is the purple fairy that flies across the track, and if any character hits her, they will spin out. Tom Thumb and Thumbelina - Tom Thumb and Thumbelina walk together on the red carpet at Fiona and Shrek's wedding ball. They are both ignominiously swept up with the debris cluttering the red carpet, and they fail to attend the ball. Tom Thumb pushes Thumbelina in front of him as they are swept up. Tweedledum and Tweedledee - Tweedledum and Tweedledee appear in the West End Line-Up version of "Shrek the Musical" amongst the fairy tale characters that are banished to Shrek's swamp. Wendy - While approaching the small boy in Far Far Away, Captain Hook also calls his mother and says "Shut it Wendy" where he mistook her for Wendy Darling. White Rabbit - The White Rabbit appeared in the Seattle Try-out & Broadway Line-Up and West End Line-Up versions of "Shrek the Musical" amongst the fairy tale characters that are banished to Shrek's swamp.  
Shrek a large, green, physically intimidating ogre, described by James Richardson as "a Scottish guy who's lived in Scarborough for 40 years". Even though his background is something of a mystery, in the musical and the book, it is revealed that on his seventh birthday Shrek was sent away by his parents because it was an ogre tradition. He is seen traveling alone, either being screamed at or teased by passers-by. The only time he receives a pleasant greeting is a wave from a young Fiona, who is promptly led away by her parents. After scaring away an angry mob, he arrives at his swamp, enters an outhouse and literally breaks out as the adult Shrek. Though surly, misanthropic, and venomously cranky, Shrek is peaceful and doesn't care to hurt anyone, but he just wants to live his life in solitude and be left alone. Shrek is befriended by Donkey, an excitable, hyperactive, and talking donkey. It's notable that when Shrek's first seen, he's successfully scaring off villagers by roaring at them, but it later becomes obvious that they were only attacking him because he's an ogre, not because he did anything wrong. In the first "Shrek" movie, during a conversation with Donkey, he laments that he is constantly judged by the outside world the minute people meet him, and is thus better off alone ("Look, I'm not the one with the problem, alright? It's the world that seems to have a problem with me. People take one look at me and go 'Aah! Help! Run! A big stupid ugly ogre!' They judge me before they even know me. That's why I'm better off alone."). This implies that he became a recluse after trying and failing to find acceptance among others. Another factor causing lack of acceptance can be found in "Shrek the Third", it's revealed Shrek had a father who tried to eat him as Shrek stated, "I guess I should have seen it coming. He used to bathe me in barbecue sauce and put me to bed with an apple in my mouth," even though he may have been joking. He is primarily known for his philosophical insights relating to the nature of onions and their layers. Shrek lives in a big Ogre Swamp, which is green and murky, like any other swamp. The swamp contains small and big ponds of muddy water and it also has geysers that squirt out mud. The swamp contains the living quarters of Shrek which consists of an outhouse and Shrek's house. The swamp is also a home to different kinds of species including the swamp slug that Shrek uses for his toothpaste. This opening sequence portrays Shrek as a real grubby beast. When he finds squatters where he lives, he attempts to evict them only to learn he has no legal recourse against them, for he does not own the swamp. Shrek is hired by Lord Farquaad to rescue Princess Fiona in exchange for the deed to the swamp, to which he can legally banish the squatters. However, during the course of the mission, Shrek falls deeply in love with Fiona. Since he's an ogre, Shrek has a considerable amount of physical strength, being able to break wood and metal constructs, get in physical combat with a number of armored humans and usually winning, unintentionally destroying a wooden vessel with a bottle of wine, and even lifting or turning objects that are too heavy for a normal human being, such as a gigantic vat of magic potion against the maximum security of the Fairy Godmother in "Shrek 2". In Shrek and the Swamp Gang Karaoke Dance Party, Shrek sings "Just the Way You Are". In Far Far Away Idol, he sang "What I Like About You" by The Romantics with Fiona. Shrek has a little problem socializing due to the fact that people think he is a mean ugly ogre, even though his appearance is remarkably humanoid, with a few cosmetic exceptions. In being in the process Shrek is said to have sociophobia. However, from "Shrek the Third" onward, Shrek has become a well-liked celebrity, at least in Far Far Away. In the fourth movie, people managed to realize that Shrek isn't dangerous and lost their fear and prejudice over him, but to Shrek's dismay, they also come to regard him as a folk hero and visit him with even more frequency than before, disturbing him. But after the experiences of the movie, Shrek comes to appreciate his life more than ever. 