Shrek Spinoff Series’ Return After $1 Billion Box Office Conquest Gets Optimistic Update

A Shrek spinoff series might be returning soon.

Director Januel Mercado has provided an optimistic update for a follow-up to Puss in Boots: The Last Wish after its $1 billion box office conquest. The sequel to 2011's Puss in Boots, the movie follows Puss, Kitty Softpaws, and newcomer Perrito in their mission to restore eight of Puss' nine lives, pitting him against a whole host of new enemies. Reviews for Puss in Boots: The Last Wish were stellar, with the movie earning plenty of praise for its voice acting, animation, and storytelling.

Speaking with The Direct, Mercado offered a positive update about a potential sequel to Puss in Boots: The Last Wish. The co-director of the movie indicated ideas may be in flux for a possible third installment in the Puss in Boots film franchise, citing just how much the second movie revitalized the franchise as a whole. He also spoke about the possibility of other fairy tale characters in the Shrek universe getting their own movie spinoffs, with the number of characters making for endless possibilities.

Check out what Mercado had to say about a potential sequel below:

I'm sure there's things stirring in development... He's such a beloved character, and that last movie really invigorated the franchise.

Oh, definitely, and [we] would say, not just limiting it to just Puss in Boots. There were many characters we had so much fun crafting in that world, and the actors we love working with, Perito with Harvey Guillén, the Wolf, Wagner Moura...

Puss in Boots: The Last Wish earned $484.3 million at the global box office during its theatrical run. Pair this with the first movie's $555 million in 2011, and the sub-franchise of the larger Shrek universe has made $1.039 billion in the span of just two movies. The earnings alone are proof of how big an audience the franchise has been able to create, while the further critical response to the latest movie adds to that factor. As of writing, The Last Wish holds a Certified Fresh 95% on Rotten Tomatoes based on 196 critic reviews.

As of writing, the Shrek franchise as a whole is now beginning a renewed expansion thanks to how well Puss in Boots: The Last Wish performed. The upcoming Shrek 5 will see Shrek's family, including Donkey, embark on a new adventure, which is set to debut in theaters on June 30, 2027. It's not the only movie in the franchise in the works now, either: Donkey, a movie about Donkey, his dragon wife, and their hybrid children, will arrive in theaters the next year, on June 30, 2028.

Mercado's statement is a good sign that a possible Puss in Boots 3 could happen in the future. The Last Wish ended by setting the stage for potential adventures featuring the feline and his friends, with many different directions the series could go in the process. But the advent of other characters getting their own spinoffs is also compelling, since it would help to flesh out the Shrek universe is ways that haven't ever been done before. For now, though, the exact nature of any movies outside Shrek 5 and Donkey remains unclear.

But, with the franchise gearing up for an even bigger revival, it seems like Puss in Boots: The Last Wish won't be the titular hero's final adventure. With the series having a multitude of potential directions, it seems like there's plenty of avenues for the franchise to explore. Where it ends up, however, remains to be seen.