Puss in Boots: The Last Wish

Puss in Boots: The Last Wish
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Joel Crawford
Screenplay by	Paul Fisher Tommy Swerdlow
Story by	Tommy Swerdlow Tom Wheeler
Produced by	Mark Swift
Starring	Antonio Banderas Salma Hayek Pinault Harvey Guillén Florence Pugh Olivia Colman Ray Winstone Samson Kayo John Mulaney Wagner Moura Da'Vine Joy Randolph Anthony Mendez
Cinematography	Chris Stover
Edited by	James Ryan
Music by	Heitor Pereira
Production company	DreamWorks Animation
Distributed by	Universal Pictures
Release dates	December 13, 2022 (2022-12-13) (Lincoln Center) December 21, 2022 (2022-12-21) (United States)
Running time	102 minutes[1]
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$90–110 million[2][3]
Box office	$485.3 million[4][5]

Puss in Boots: The Last Wish is a 2022 American animated adventure comedy film produced by DreamWorks Animation and distributed by Universal Pictures. The sequel to the spin-off film Puss in Boots (2011) and the sixth installment of the Shrek film series, the film was directed by Joel Crawford, co-directed by Januel Mercado (in his feature directorial debut), and written by Paul Fisher, Tommy Swerdlow, and Tom Wheeler. Based on the character introduced in Shrek 2 (2004) and inspired by the fairy tale of the same name, the voice cast includes Antonio Banderas and Salma Hayek reprising their respective roles as the titular character and Kitty Softpaws, with new additions to the cast including Harvey Guillén, Florence Pugh, Olivia Colman, Ray Winstone, Samson Kayo, John Mulaney, Wagner Moura, Da'Vine Joy Randolph, and Anthony Mendez. Set after the events of Shrek Forever After (2010), the story follows Puss in Boots, who teams up with Kitty and Perrito to find the Last Wish of the fallen Wishing Star to restore eight of his nine lives. They race against other fairy tale characters seeking the same treasure, while a sinister wolf hunts Puss himself.

Plans for a sequel to Puss in Boots began in November 2012 but languished in development hell until it was revived in November 2018, with Illumination founder and CEO Chris Meledandri confirmed as an executive producer. It was announced in February 2019 that the film would be helmed by Bob Persichetti, head of story of the first film and co-director of Sony Pictures Animation's Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018). However, Crawford signed on and replaced Persichetti as director in March 2021, along with Mercado. The story draws inspiration from Spaghetti Western films, with The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966) cited as a particular influence. The film's style is inspired by Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. With new technology, the team was able to give the film a painterly style to resemble a fairy-tale story, diverging from the visual style of previous installments in the Shrek franchise.

Following delays due to a restructuring at DreamWorks, Puss in Boots: The Last Wish premiered at Lincoln Center in New York City on December 13, 2022, and was theatrically released in the United States on December 21. Since its release, Puss in Boots: The Last Wish has been hailed as a modern classic, acquiring acclaim from critics and audiences. It was also a box office success, grossing over $485 million worldwide on a production budget of $90–110 million and becoming the tenth-highest-grossing film of 2022. At the 95th Academy Awards it was nominated for Best Animated Feature, as well as receiving nominations at the Golden Globes, Critics' Choice Awards, and British Academy Film Awards.