Watch: Puss In Boots: The Last Wish director Joel Crawford laughs at Eddie Murphy disc
Puss In Boots: The Last Wish director Joel Crawford has scoffed at Eddie Murphy’s recent suggestion that his Donkey character was more deserving of a Shrek spinoff than Puss In Boots, who returns to cinemas in The Last Wish from February 3.
“They did Puss in Boots movies, they should have [done] movie donkey. Donkey is funnier than Puss in Boots. “I love Puss in Boots, but he’s not as funny as Donkey!” Murphy said recently Etalk.
“Oh, classic ass,” Crawford responded when Yahoo sent Murphy a dig at the filmmaker.
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“It’s so funny because that’s so in character for Donkey and Puss In Boots.
“The two of them are always going after each other because of what Shrek respects.”
Defending Puss as a character worth returning to, Crawford says the feline hero is more complex and interesting than people assume.
“I think what surprised people was the depth of this character,” the director explains. “And that’s Antonio’s thing. [Banderas] We loved the early conversations when we were talking about where this story would go, the story of what a meaningful life can be.”
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“Tony was very happy to show the world that possibility is not just a comedian who was funny, but there is so much more to him, that he shows vulnerability and love and joy in these different expressions. And I think that’s really important to the audience, even more than comedy.”
With the links between Shrek and Puss In Boots: The Last Wish still strong, Crawford confirmed that the team “put a lot” of Easter eggs into the latest installment, without sharing all of the secrets of his film.
“Yes, but I don’t think I should say what they are. That’s the fun!”
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“We put a lot of Easter eggs in here, but then there are also self-contained things in the film. Details related to the characters, if you go back and freeze frame, there’s a lot to be found over and over again.”
Although Crawford worked as a storyboard artist on Shrek Forever After, Puss In Boots: The Last Wish is his first time in the director’s chair for the franchise.
“This next chapter of Puss In Boots has certainly been highly anticipated, where it has been over ten years since it was last on the big screen.”
“A big part of it was how best to tell this story about cats on their ninth life in an honest and meaningful way. That came down to how we convey that this film is about life and how special it can be and who we can share it with.”
“It’s been great to see people not only fully embracing Puss coming back and feeling the love of the character, but also getting to see a deeper side. That’s very satisfying I think as a director.”
With Crawford now steering the Puss In Boots ship, the franchise’s animation style has seen a distinct change. While Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse was an inspiration, the dynamic visual feel stems from classic Japanese Anime.
“Into The Spider-Verse opened up similar opportunities for the entire animation industry,” shares Crowford.
“But Akira (the 1988 animated film) was a big inspiration, with that industry being open to expressing animated films in different styles.”
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“It feels more advanced because we’re using what we call step-down animation, where you can see expressions and poses further.”
“In contrast, during the film, we connect him to push his journey from going from this fairy tale of ‘I’m going to live forever’ to moments based on ‘Oh wow, I get one life and these are the people . able to share it with’.”
With Shrek 5 and more Puss In Boots adventures on the horizon, the importance of adding to Crawford’s childhood memories is not lost.
“I think there’s something really exciting about something that’s been around for, you know, for over 20 years like the Shrek world is based on your childhood memories that are now adults in their 20s and 30s.”
“I am delighted to be a part of continuing the next chapter of Puss In Boots for sure.”
Puss In Boots: The Last Wish is now in UK cinemas. Watch a clip below.