A Shrek live-action remake is more likely after How to Train Your Dragon‘s box office success, but I know how DreamWorks can avoid making it another sH๏τ-for-sH๏τ remake. Over the last decade, Disney has achieved tremendous success with its live-action remakes of its animated classics. Despite mixed reviews, they tend to perform well at the box office. Snow White may have been a disappointment, but Lilo & Sтιтch is one of the year’s biggest hits. DreamWorks is following in Disney’s footsteps with a remake of How to Train Your Dragon, and it’s already a win for the studio.

HTTYD had a great opening weekend, grossing $83 million domestically and $197.8 million worldwide. It’s the best opening in the franchise, and it received positive reviews from audiences and critics with a 78% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes. Universal has already greenlit How to Train Your Dragon 2, showing plenty of confidence in this series. A third remake already seems likely. Following the success of the 2025 film, it’s inevitable that DreamWorks will revisit its catalog, likely leading to a live-action version of Shrek. However, the studio has a chance to do something wildly different with its biggest franchise.

A Shrek Live-Action Remake Is More Likely After How To Train Your Dragon’s Success

Shrek Is DreamWorks’ Most Successful Franchise

Live-action remakes are a divisive topic, as many would prefer that studios commit to creating exciting original content rather than recycle what audiences have already seen. However, it’s undeniable that nostalgia is a powerful marketing tool and these remakes are safe bets for studios in an uncertain market. They appeal to adults who grew up with these movies, as well as kids who have never seen the original. HTTYD‘s early success proves there is a large audience for DreamWorks’ remakes, and it’s likely the studio will make more. However, many of them would be tricky to adapt to well.

Shrek is DreamWorks’ biggest franchise, and it could be the next in line to get the live-action treatment. The films have grossed over $4 billion worldwide, including the two Puss in Boots spinoff films. Shrek 5 is set to debut in 2026, adding Zendaya to the all-star original cast. While the films are beloved by multiple generations, the endless internet memes have also contributed to the franchise’s everlasting popularity. A live-action remake seems like an obvious decision, but there’s a way to make it truly unique.

DreamWorks Can Adapt Shrek The Musical Instead Of A Live-Action Remake

Shrek The Musical Is An Underrated Gem

A musical adaptation of Shrek seemed like an odd decision. While Disney had success translating its animated films to the Broadway stage, those films were already musicals, making the transition less abrupt. However, Shrek the Musical surprised the musical theater community when it premiered in 2008. It brought the fantasy world to life on stage through fantastic production design and included an excellent soundtrack from Jeanine Tesori and David Lindsay-Abaire. The production only remained on Broadway until 2010 despite positive reviews, but it did receive several Tony nominations, including Best Musical.

A filmed version of the stage show is available to rent or purchase digitally, but the musical is still underappreciated. The professionally-sH๏τ movie didn’t receive quite the same attention as Disney+’s Hamilton, or even the recent debut of a filmed version of Waitress. DreamWorks has an opportunity to grow its popularity by adapting the musical for a live-action Shrek, rather than the original film. It’s better than many would believe, and its songs, such as “Who I’d Be” and “I Know It’s Today,” deserve more popularity. Its Tony nominations also prove that the musical itself works, meaning DreamWorks wouldn’t need to change much to make it a hit.

It’s also a good example of how to depict the characters of Shrek in live-action. For those like Donkey and Shrek himself, a live-action version would either have to rely heavily on CGI – a controversial element of various live-action remakes – or turn to makeup and prosthetics. The Broadway musical already dealt with the latter, so it would make sense for a movie adaptation to do the same.

Adapting Shrek The Musical Would Avoid One Of HTTYD’s Biggest Criticisms

HTTYD Is Too Similar To The Original

Despite the positive reviews, one glaring issue with How to Train Your Dragon is that it’s too similar to the 2010 film. It recreates so many moments from the animated film with incredible production design and incredible effects, but it’s hard not to compare these scenes to the original since they’re almost carbon copies. A sH๏τ-for-sH๏τ remake of Shrek seems so boring, and it’s a movie that many people have burned into their memory. By adapting the musical, DreamWorks can still recreate iconic scenes from the original while offering audiences something new.

The musical itself does include plenty of dialogue and scenes from the 2001 film. However, Shrek the Musical makes a few changes that add context and information that improves character arcs and backstories. For instance, it begins with Shrek being kicked out of his home at seven years old, leaving him alone in a world that hates him. This small addition gives deeper meaning to why Shrek wants to remain isolated, and allows Fiona and Shrek to bond over a shared experience. It doesn’t take away from the original and adds an interesting angle to the story.

DreamWorks Can Win Over 2 Different Audiences

Musical Adaptations Are Still Popular

Shrek will always be successful at the box office since it has such a prominent fanbase. Generations who grew up with the green ogre will go see a live-action version, as well as families with small kids looking to entertain them. As seen with A Minecraft Movie, there is also an entire demographic of young adults who would go see it simply for the memes. However, a musical adaptation would also appeal to theater fans, a community that Universal just tapped into with Wicked.

2024’s Wicked grossed over $755 million worldwide, and its sequel, Wicked: For Good, has the potential to be a box office behemoth. Universal could draw two different audiences to theaters by joining Shrek fans and musical theater fans together. No, Shrek the Musical doesn’t have the same popularity as Wicked, but people still want to see Shrek, and people want to see musicals. An adaptation of Shrek the Musical, rather than a remake, would be a certified all-star and would give Universal the best of both worlds.