By Chris Snellgrove | Published
The original Shrek movie used its boppy soundtrack to remind us of Smash Mouth’s genius: namely, that age starts coming and never stops coming. This pop culture prophecy has now come true, and it’s set to get a fourth cinematic installment of everyone’s favorite ogre. Fans have been wondering that Shrek 5 will see the return of John Lithgow, and he recently clarified in an interview with People that he would “say yes in a minute” if he received such an offer.
John Lithgow will return in Shrek 5
In the first movie, the actor reminisced about Shrek’s antagonist, the diminutive tyrant Lord Farquaad, who finds his deserts at the end of the movie. Unfortunately, that structural improvement is the main reason that Shrek 5 he probably won’t show John Lithgow even though he’s willing to come back. “It turns out it’s not easy to recover from being eaten by a dragon,” he laughed.
Fans who are eager to see the return of this character have pointed out that it is possible for the character to return with flashbacks or memories. It’s been 14 years since the last film and 23 years since the first, so it would make sense for the fifth film to be full of nostalgia for its roots. Lithgow was a big part of why that first film was a success, and we’re among the many fans who would be happy to see him return in one form or another.
Lord Farquaad’s Possible Return
There is another opportunity for Shrek 5 to include John Lithgow, but it will involve returning to a part of the franchise that most people have never seen. In 2003, Universal Studios debuted Shrek 4-D, an animated ride that featured Shrek and Donkey trying to save Fiona from the vengeful ghost of Lord Farquaad, once again voiced by Lithgow.
The cartoon has since been released on home video, and even if it ends with Farquaad being killed by a dragon again, we wouldn’t be surprised if his ghost finds its cruel way back to the land of the living.
It’s always fun to exchange ideas about how our favorite departed characters could return, but there’s a strong reason to believe so. Shrek 5 it won’t bring back John Lithgow’s character. In that People interview, the famous actor tried to stop the rumors before they started, firmly saying “I don’t know anything about it and no, I’m not part of it.” It’s possible the Emmy-winning actor is just playing coy, but there’s a good chance this latest installment won’t be entirely Farquaad.
Shrek 5
While Shrek 5 won’t have John Lithgow in it, the film promises to be a blast from the past in other ways, including the return of Mike Myers and co. Saturday Night Live student Eddie Murphy. Even Cameron Diaz is coming back, which is really exciting for fans of the actress…she retired from acting for ten years to focus on her family, but she is back and ready to be everyone’s favorite movie princess again. Now, we can only hope that fans will see this fifth film (out July 1, 2026) as Shrek saw Fiona: as something worth saving.
Source: People
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