SHREK, PUSS IN BOOTS to be Rebooted by DESPICABLE ME Creator

Chris Meledandri will oversee the revival of "Shrek" and "Puss in Boots," according to Variety.

Universal Pictures chose Meledandri, the man behind "Despicable Me," to find fresh story lines to reintroduce the characters to new generations of moviegoers.

Meledandri wants to reassemble THE VOICE cast of Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy and Antonio Banderas for the new films. "When you look back on those vocal performances they're awesome, and while you certainly could make a case for a complete reinvention, I find myself responding to my own nostalgic feelings of wanting to go back to those characterizations," says Meledandri. "The challenge for us has been to find something that really does feel like it's not simply yet another film in a series of sequels."

The studio's parent company, Comcast, bought DreamWorks Animation, the studio behind "Shrek," in 2016 for $3.8 billion. Meledandri's Illumination Entertainment is co-owned by Universal, Meledandri says he came to feel that he couldn't manage the two companies and still maintain the same level of quality in the films he makes.

"The way in which I work with my team to make movies is very intensive and hands-on, and it really doesn't allow me the opportunity to think about running a second operation," says Meledandri. "I love the process of making films and working with artists. I don't think I'm particularly great at managing companies."

Meledandi speaks of the reboot saying, "There's a tremendous amount of fun to be had in that world, but it's a high bar to find a story that's truly world. You want to find something in the narrative that really feels like a departure."

Read the original article on Variety.