Banderas, Hayek & Galifianakis Sign on for 'Shrek' Puss In Boots Spin-Off

Multiple reports have confirmed new progress on the Shrek spin-off, Puss in Boots, slated for release in November of 2011.  Zach Galifianakis is allegedly in talks to voice Humpty Dumpty, joining Antonio Banderas as the title character, and Salma Hayek as Kitty. The film will follow Puss in Boots adventures before Shrek 2. The film is written by Tom Wheeler and directed by Chris Miller who co-wrote and co-directed Shrek the Third.

Prior to the release of Puss in Boots, Shrek producers are keeping the franchise alive with Shrek Forever After, slated for release on May 21, 2010, a few months after Shrek: The Musical is scheduled to close on Broadway on January 3, 2010. (Puss will make an appearance in this film, as well.) 

And it is no wonder. Shrek 2 made $441 million domestically, far more than the original's returns of $267 million. Shrek the Third grossed $322 million.  Both Shrek 2 and 3 cost around $150 million, while the original installment cost $60 million. And, of course, Shrek: The Musical enjoyed a healthy run on Broadway and is gearing up for what is hoped to be a lucrative national tour next year, beginning in July.

Antonio Banderas appeard on Broadway in the revival of Nine, for which he was nominated for a Tony and received a Drama Desk and Theatre World Award in 2003.  His performance is preserved on the Broadway cast recording released by PS Classics. One of the most internationally recognizable actors in the world, he has appeared in high-profile Hollywood films including Assassins, Evita, Interview with the Vampire, the Oscar-winning Philadelphia, Desperado with Salma Hayek, The Mask of Zorro, and the Spy Kids and Shrek film series as Puss in Boots.

Salma Hayek recently participated in the industry reading of Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown at Lincoln Center with Jessica Biel, Matthew Morrison and Paul Szot. This production would mark Hayek's big stage debut. One of the most recognizable film stars in the world, Hayek studied under Stella Adler in the early 1990s, going on to star in such films as Desperado opposite Antonio, The Faculty, Wild Wild West, Fools Rush In, once Upon A Time in Mexico and The Sunset with Pierce Brosnan. She runs her own Production Company, Ventanarosa, responsible for 2002's Frida, in which she both produced and starred. The film was nominated for six Academy Awards, including a Best Actress nomination for Hayek, who was the first Latin actress to be nominated in The category. She is the Emmy-winner producer of ABC's Ugly Betty, which won a Golden Globe for Best Comedy in 2007.

Zach Galifianakis is a comedian and actor known for numerous film and television appearances including his own Comedy Central Presents special. He is known for his unconventional stand-up style, that features the reading of one-liners while playing a piano during his performances. While initially more of an "underground" and lesser-known comedian, he garnered considerable mainstream attention with his breakthrough role in the successful 2009 comedy The Hangover, as his character of Alan. He has appeared on Dog Man Bites, The Sarah Silverman Program, Reno 911! amd more. More recently, Galifianakis performed on a tour called the "Comedians of Comedy" with Brian Posehn, Patton Oswalt, and Maria Bamford.