Māoriland Charitable Trust has announced a collaboration with DreamWorks Animation to dub the beloved animated film Shrek into te reo Māori, leading to a world premiere at the Māoriland Film Festival in March 2025 followed by a series of special screenings across New Zealand.
“We are hugely excited to re-imagine this phenomenal and captivating story, which has captured the hearts of families worldwide in te reo Māori,” Māoriland producer Libby Hakaraia said.
The original Shrek has been dubbed into over 40 languages and been enjoyed by millions of people around the world. However, this is the first time a DreamWorks Animation film has been adapted into te reo Maori.
“With the team at Māoriland, we’ve found a partner who shares our passion for diverse stories. This project is more than a movie -- it celebrates cultural diversity and the power of storytelling to connect people. Just as Shrek brings unlikely friends together, this project highlights that same unifying power,” DreamWorks Animation vice-president localization Scott McCarthy said.
Since Shrek burst onto the screen in 2001, audiences of all ages have been enchanted by the irreverent adventures of a misunderstood ogre and his ragtag group of roguish fairytale folk.
“Shrek is a sensational movie because it’s a masterpiece of comedy, loaded with irony, puns and sly references to Western pop culture,” Māoriland director Tainui Stephens said. “Any reversioning of Shrek presents significant but delicious linguistic and performance challenges.”
Such challenges are already known to Mātewā Media, which has reversioned five animated films into te reo Māori. Its first was Moana, then Lion King, and its latest, Encanto ,was released this month. Moana in te reo Māori screened at the Māoriland Film Festival at an outdoor venue that was attended by hundreds of Māori-speaking whānau.
The lead translator of Shrek, Te Kiwa Goddard, says he understands the popularity of mainstream films for everyone.
“I’m a father of six, and I see this film as not only being gratefully received by my tamariki, their friends and whānau but also by non-Māori speaking people as well as it’s that sort of film where you are carried away by the story and the music.”
But he added: “There’s a hunger for stories in te reo that bring the world to our tamariki. The biggest challenge is to find the ‘sweet spot’ when it comes to matching the humour - which is funny when expressed in English - and then find its equivalent in Māori.” Goddard said.
With funding support from Te Māngai Pāho, kaihautū Larry Parr said “The reversioning of Shrek is another opportunity for us to celebrate and promote te reo Māori. This production will allow audiences to engage with te reo Māori in a unique yet familiar and entertaining environment.”
Te Tumu Whakaata Tāonga (NZFC) is also supporting the project through a tuakana teina fund to enable rangatahi Māori to work on the project as well as to support its release in March 2025 at the Māoriland Film Festival and through five special screenings across the country under the MFF banner.
“The NZ Film Commission acknowledges that te reo Māori is a taonga to be nurtured and celebrated,” manukura chief advisor Māori Te o Kahurangi Waaka said. “The reversioning of Shrek with Mâoriland fosters progression of Mâori talent especially rangatahi/youth, grows the industry and grows te reo Mâori. That meets the outcomes of our rautaki Mâori for our sector.”
Māoriland and DreamWorks are looking forward to the world premiere of Shrek at the Māoriland Film Festival in March 2025, followed by a series of special screenings across New Zealand.