Shrek at 20: How a chaotic project became a beloved hit 18 May, 2021 08:58 PM 8 minutes to read Fiona (Cameron Diaz) and Shrek (Mike Myers) in the film that started it all. Photo / Supplied Fiona (Cameron Diaz) and Shrek (Mike Myers) in the film that started it all. Photo / Supplied New York Times By: Gina Cherelus Expectations were so low and the hurdles so plentiful that the crew wasn't eager to work on the movie. Recasting after the death of Chris Farley added challenges, too. The idea that an ugly ogre could be a big-screen hero in a romantic-comedy fairy tale was not one that many had high hopes for. The lack of a traditional prince wasn't the only hurdle for Shrek, the next big animated production from the newly formed DreamWorks. Producers and directors came and went. A major role had to be recast. And technology was proving to be thorny. In fact, the project was initially unpopular among employees.