Bob Persichetti to Helm DreamWorks’ Puss in Boots Sequel

February 27, 2019

Coming off from the success of Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Variety reports that co-director Bob Persichetti has signed on to helm Universal Pictures and DreamWorks Animation’s forthcoming Puss in Boots sequel.

It was reported last year that the two partnering studios were planning to reboot Shrek and Puss in Boots with Illumination’s CEO Chris Meledandri to oversee the projects along with the original film’s producer Latifa Ouaou. Further details about the film’s plot is still being kept under wraps; however, Meledandri hopes to get the original voice cast back for the reboots.

The 2011 Puss in Boots featured an ensemble voice cast led by Antonio Banderas as the titular talking cat. The film also starred Golden Globe-nominated actress Salma Hayek, Zach Galifianakis, Billy Bob Thornton, Constance Marie, Mike Mitchell and Oscar winner Guillermo del Toro, who also served as executive producer. The original also earned a nomination for Best Animated Feature at the 84th Academy Awards.

The Shrek franchise grossed nearly $3 billion between 2001 and 2010. The Puss in Boots spin-off in 2011 earned an additional worldwide box office of about $555 million.

Last Sunday, Sony’s critically-acclaimed Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse has won an Oscar for Best Animated Feature which was accepted by Persichetti, Peter Ramsey and Rodney Rothman along with co-producers Phil Lord and Christopher Miller. The film was also Persichetti’s first animated film as a director.