Long-awaited and highly anticipated, Puss in Boots: The Last Wish takes viewers back to the Shrek universe for the first time in over a decade. Bringing back Antonia Banderas' lovable feline outlaw, the film has been years in the making and is stacked to the whiskers with celebrity voice actors.
Featuring Puss in Boots going on a quest to restore eight of his depleted nine lives, The Last Wish already looks like the animated adventure of a lifetime. The recently released first trailer also feels like a modernization of the classic Shrek humor, ensuring that tons of laughs will be in store for those who dare not beg for mercy.
What Is the Plot of Puss in Boots: The Last Wish?
The story of Puss in Boots: The Last Wish takes place only a few months after the events of 2011's original Puss in Boots movie, which itself was set several years before Puss encountered Shrek and Donkey during the events of Shrek 2. Unfortunately for him, at this point, his many adventures have led him to have already burned through eight of his nine lives. Determined to get back his sense of immortality, Puss in Boots sets off on a journey to find the mystical Wishing Star and restore his lives. To do so, he'll have to accept the help of fierce feline rival Kitty Softpaws, all while encountering several other characters from the world of fairy tales.
The idea for another Puss in Boots movie came about a year after the original came out, and by 2014, the movie was tentatively titled Puss in Boots 2: Nine Lives & 40 Thieves. Corporate restructuring at Dreamworks led to the movie being unofficially canceled, though production later resumed by the late 2010s. Now titled Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, the storyline suggests that some of the plans for the original version may still be present. The movie was finally officially announced as being in the pipeline with its first trailer, reuniting audiences with Banderas' Puss after years.
Who Are the Cast and Crew of Puss in Boots?
Besides Banderas' role as the title feline, there are several other big names involved in the Dreamworks film. These include Salma Hayek reprising her role as Kitty Softpaws from the previous movie, as well as Harvey Guillén as the dog Perro. John Mulaney voices Big Jack Horner while Florence Pugh, best known from the Marvel film Black Widow, will be voicing the troublesome Goldilocks. Wagner Moura voices Big Bad Wolf, though this doesn't seem to be the same version seen in the Shrek movies. The official press release describes the bears as being the "Three Bears Crime Family," suggesting that they're also separate from the previous versions.
Other actors announced so far include Olivia Colman, Ray Winstone, Samson Kayo, Anthony Mendez and Da'Vine Joy Randolph, though their roles are still unknown. It's also worth noting that the art style is different and more cel-shaded this time around, likely due to Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse director Bob Persichetti initially being attached.
When Is Puss in Boots: The Last Wish's Release Date?
Given its long production history, it feels almost surreal that fans are finally getting to see another movie with Puss in Boots. Thankfully, with the first trailer now out, they won't have to wait much longer for the Shrek spin-off. Puss in Boots: The Last Wish releases on September 23, 2022, nearly 11 years after the original. There's no word yet on if it will be theater-exclusive, but it more than likely will, making fans go to the big screen to see the return of a cat legend.
This article will be updated as more information becomes available.