Shrek at 25: How everyone’s favourite ogre went from development hell to all-star smash

Happy birthday, big guy (Picture: Dreamworks/Everett/REX/Shutterstock)

Shrek, the big green ogre who became the face of a multi-billion-dollar franchise, turned 25 this week, and the impact of its success is still being felt from here ot Far Far Away. 

The DreamWorks Animation pictures hit is impossible to ignore when considering the history of Hollywood animation, and the life it has taken as grown far beyond the cinema screen. 

From sequels and spin-offs, to theme parks, internet meme culture and themed club raves fueled by millennial nostalgia, the Shrek swamp party has never really stopped over the last 25 years.