Shrek the Halls

Last updated

Shrek the Halls
Shrek the Halls poster.jpg
DVD cover
Genre Comedy
Adventure
Mystery
Based on Shrek!
by William Steig
Written by Gary Trousdale
Sean Bishop
Theresa Pettengill
Bill Riling
Directed by Gary Trousdale
Starring Mike Myers
Eddie Murphy
Cameron Diaz
Antonio Banderas
Cody Cameron
Christopher Knights
Conrad Vernon
Aron Warner
Theme music composer Harry Gregson-Williams
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
Production
Producers Gina Shay
Teresa Cheng
Aron Warner
Running time21 minutes (30 minutes with commercials)
Production companies DreamWorks Animation
Pacific Data Images
Original release
Network ABC (2007–2022)
NBC (2023–present)
ReleaseNovember 28, 2007 (2007-11-28)

Shrek the Halls is an American animated Christmas comedy television special that premiered on the American television network ABC on November 28, 2007. The thirty minute Christmas special was co-written and directed by Gary Trousdale and produced by DreamWorks Animation. Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz, and Antonio Banderas reprise their roles from the feature films. This Christmas special takes place between Shrek the Third and Shrek Forever After . As with the other Shrek animations, this television special was loosely based on the 1990 children's book Shrek! by William Steig.

Contents

Plot

Shrek is quietly living in the swamp with his family when the Christmas season arrives. Under Donkey's urging, Shrek reluctantly promises Princess Fiona 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 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, spoiling Shrek's plans.

As Shrek tries to recite "A Visit from St. Nicholas", Donkey, Puss in Boots, and Gingy interrupt and each tell their own Christmas story. Donkey tells of a Christmas parade passing by the swamp and licking an enormous waffle Santa, and absentmindedly starts licking Shrek's foot. Puss's version of the Santa Claus story ends with playing with the tassel on Santa's hat, while in reality he is playing with a bauble. Gingy tells a horrifying story about how his girlfriend Suzy was eaten by Santa Claus. Donkey calls it ridiculous, and finds Shrek's Christmas for Village Idiots book. A fight breaks out over the book and Shrek's supper is destroyed. After lighting his butt on fire, Shrek finally loses his temper and ends up ejecting his friends from his house, including Donkey, who denounces him as "Ebenezer Shrek" in the heat of the argument. With their Christmas spirit ruined, Fiona is upset at Shrek's behavior and leaves with the ogre triplets. She catches up to their friends and explains to Donkey what Shrek had wanted for Christmas.

Shrek, remorseful at what he has done, catches up with the group and apologizes for lashing out at them earlier. He then tells everyone this is also his first Christmas, since ogres do not celebrate anything, this causes Donkey to realize his own mistake while apologizing to Shrek for disturbing him with those previous early announcements for Christmas while jeopardizing Shrek's and his family's first Christmas moment, while Shrek forgives him. They return to the swamp and Shrek tells his own version of "The Night Before Christmas", featuring himself as "Ogre Claus". Soon, they hear bells and go outside to see Santa and his reindeer, although Gingy, still afraid of Santa, runs back inside in fear. The special ends with Santa using his magic to put ogre ears on the moon.

Cast

Production

Shrek the Halls was produced by DreamWorks Animation and Pacific Data Images. David Ian Salter and Mark Baldo directed the special during the pre production, [1] but they were later replaced by Gary Trousdale. The film was produced by Teresa Cheng, Gina Shay and Aron Warner and was written by Bill Riling, Theresa Cullen, Gary Trousdale and Sean Bishop.

Release

Broadcast

Shrek the Halls premiered on the American television network ABC on November 28, 2007. [2] [3] ABC held the exclusive domestic rights to the special until it moved to NBC in 2023, first airing on that network on November 30. [4]

In the UK, it premiered on December 24, 2007, on BBC One. [5] The special was repeated on BBC Three on December 23, 2011, along with Shrek: Once Upon a Time and Shrek.

Ratings

The rating info is courtesy of Your Entertainment Now [6] and ABC Medianet. [7]

United States Nielsen ratings

#Air DateRatingShareRating/Share
(18-49)
Viewers
(millions)
Rank
(timeslot)
Rank
(night)
Rank
(week)
1November 28, 200711.0177.2/2021.06113
2December 11, 20075.793.4/99.973621
3December 1, 20086.2103.3/911.171319
4December 22, 20083.761.8/66.51TBATBATBA
5November 30, 2009TBATBA3.2/810.01TBATBATBA
6December 9, 2009TBATBA2.6/88.53TBATBATBA

United Kingdom Figures

AiringViewers
(millions)
December 24, 20077.9 [8]
December 24, 20086.92* [9]

* 6.32 million (BBC One viewers) + 0.60 million (BBC Three viewers) = 6.92. Both shown at the same time.

Home media

Shrek the Halls was released on DVD in the United States on November 4, 2008. [10] It grossed $16 million in home sales. [11] Originally the special was available by itself, or in a bundle pack with Shrek the Third. The special was released on iTunes on November 2, 2008, and on Blu-ray and DVD on October 30, 2012, as part of compilation titled Dreamworks Holiday Classics. [12] [13] The special was re-released on DVD on October 1, 2013, along with Merry Madagascar , Kung Fu Panda Holiday , Dragons: Gift of the Night Fury , and The Croods . DreamWorks Holiday Classics, available on Amazon, features Donkey's Caroling Christmas-tacular and does not feature Shrek the Halls.

HarperFestival also published a picture book version of Shrek the Halls, authored by Catherine Hapka and illustrated by Michael Koelsch. [14] [15] Koelsch had previously illustrated a picture book for Shrek 2 in 2004. [16]

Music

The score of the special was composed by Harry Gregson-Williams. The special, like the films, also features the following Pop culture and Christmas songs: [17]

ICE!

In July 2011, as part of a strategic partnership between DreamWorks Animation and Gaylord Hotels, Shrek the Halls was presented as the theme of the ICE! exhibit at Gaylord's hotels in Texas and Florida. In this presentation, the plot of the film is told through a series of ice sculptures that visitors walk past. [18]

See also

Related Research Articles

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Shrek 2 is a 2004 American animated fantasy comedy film loosely based on the 1990 children's picture book Shrek! by William Steig. Directed by Andrew Adamson, Kelly Asbury, and Conrad Vernon from a screenplay by Adamson, Joe Stillman, and the writing team of J. David Stem and David N. Weiss, it is the sequel to Shrek (2001) and the second installment in the Shrek film series. The film stars Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy and Cameron Diaz, who reprise their respective voice roles of Shrek, Donkey, and Princess Fiona. They are joined by new characters voiced by Antonio Banderas, Julie Andrews, John Cleese, Rupert Everett, and Jennifer Saunders. Shrek 2 takes place following the events of the first film, with Shrek and Donkey meeting Fiona's parents as the zealous Fairy Godmother, who wants Fiona to marry her son Prince Charming, plots to destroy Shrek and Fiona's marriage. Shrek and Donkey team up with a sword-wielding cat named Puss in Boots to foil her plans.

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