Puss In Boots: The Last Wish - What We Know So Far

The "Shrek" franchise will grow a little larger next year when DreamWorks releases its second entry in the "Puss in Boots" series, "Puss in Boots: The Last Wish." Originally spinning off from its parent material in 2011 with "Puss in Boots," the series charts the adventures of this mythical feline bandit voiced by Antonio Banderas. Now, Puss is returning for a second go at the big screen, much to the chagrin of those who would have preferred that "Shrek 5" (which fans have been waiting on for a number of years now) come out instead.

Nevertheless, DreamWorks and Universal promise more fantastical fun with "The Last Wish," a prospect which seems promising. After all, Puss is one of the franchise's most popular personalities, and his potential as a solo character was legitimized with the success of his first film. At least, Universal seems to think so. Though the company hasn't revealed very much about the film's cast and plot, it has given a specific release date and a few sparse details about what we can expect to see in theaters. With that in mind, here is what we know so far about "Puss in Boots: The Last Wish."

According to Deadline, Universal revealed the projected release date for "Puss in Boots: The Last Wish" when they first announced the film's existence in March. DreamWorks must have been working on the film for quite some time behind the scenes, because Universal was bold enough to give the film a specific release date in the somewhat near future. If all goes as planned for Universal, "Puss in Boots: The Last Wish" should premiere on September 23, 2022.

A year may sound like a long time to wait, but it can also be a relatively short time on the filmmaking side. The average Hollywood project takes around 2-3 years to complete (via Stephen Follows), and animation is no exception. On the whole, the quickly-approaching date is likely good news for those interested in seeing this "Puss in Boots" sequel. Not only are they waiting a relatively short time after its announcement to see the film, but a good portion of the film is likely already finished. The fact that Universal offered a specific date means the company is more than fairly confident of when the film will be ready for release. In other words, the chances of a delay are low when it comes to this film.

After making his first appearance in "Shrek 2," Puss in Boots became nothing less than a regular in the franchise. Once a killer and thief, now a hero and loyal companion to Shrek, Puss stands as one of the series' most recognizable and beloved characters. This is, of course, partially due to the performance of Puss' voice actor, Antonio Banderas. If you think Universal would even dare to release a major film in the "Shrek" franchise without including Banderas, you'd be dead wrong. The Oscar-nominated actor is already set to play everyone's favorite feisty feline in "The Last Wish."

The studio's other casting decisions, however, have so far been kept a mystery. It might be too much to ask that any other existing "Shrek" characters make an appearance in this film. None of them were in the first "Puss in Boots" installment, after all. However, it is more likely that we will see some of the characters introduced in Puss' first film, such as Kitty Softpaws (Salma Hayek) or Humpty Dumpty (Zach Galifianakis), reappear for the sequel. That being said, it's equally possible for Puss to go it alone on this adventure. It would be a faithful representation of his outlaw nature to have him embark on a quest without the help of any preexisting allies.

It's been nearly 17 years since Puss first appeared in the "Shrek" franchise. That's a long time to live for a cat, and he must know it because "The Last Wish" is all about Puss trying to add a bit more time to his lifespan. After losing eight of his nine lives over the course of his adventures, Puss begins seeking the mythical Last Wish to restore them. With only one life to spare, this looks to be Puss' most dangerous journey yet.

One interesting thing to note about "The Last Wish" is that there seem to be more original story elements than we typically find in a "Shrek" film. While there is plenty of folklore surrounding wishes, there aren't any preexisting fairy tales that detail a "Last Wish." Whether or not this film's titular Last Wish is connected to some other piece of folklore, such as a genie (or maybe a Fairy Godmother), is unknown. If it is entirely original, it would be one of the few times DreamWorks didn't find inspiration in established fairy tales for one of its major "Shrek" universe plot points. Whatever the case, such mysteries are bound to be revealed when "Puss In Boots: The Last Wish" is released next September.