Puss in Boots turns 15 on 28 October, and the Shrek spinoff’s journey to cinemas is full of details even repeat viewers may not know. It began as a direct-to-video title, moved its release date to get ahead of the family-movie rush, and premiered on a cruise ship. Here are ten things you didn’t know about Puss in Boots.
It began as a direct-to-video Ogre Killer
The film had been in development since 2004, when Shrek 2 was released. It was initially planned for release in 2008 as a direct-to-video film, then titled Puss in Boots: The Story of an Ogre Killer.
A Shrek 2 story artist championed it
Chris Miller, who worked as head of story on Shrek 2, was a big proponent of making a spin-off centered on Puss in Boots. He loved the character and saw intriguing story potential in the adventures Puss mentions having had. By October 2006, the film was re-slated as a theatrical release due to market.
The release moved up to October 28
Puss in Boots was originally set for release on March 30, 2012, but was moved ahead to November 4, 2011, taking over the release date of Rise of the Guardians. It was then pushed a week earlier to October 28, 2011. Anne Globe, head of worldwide marketing for DreamWorks Animation, said the move was to attract parents and children before other family-friendly films were released in November 2011.
The UAE renamed it Cat in Boots
In the United Arab Emirates, the film was renamed Cat in Boots for officially unknown reasons, though religious and cultural reasons were suspected. The UAE’s National Media Council said it had no involvement in the rename, and that the decision had been made by the Hollywood studio and the movie distributors in the UAE. Because the distributor was based there, the same print was syndicated throughout the Middle East. The name change was limited to the original theatrical run; merchandise and later regional home media releases retained the original title.
The premiere docked on a cruise ship
The world premiere took place on October 16, 2011, docking at Royal Caribbean International’s cruise ship Allure of the Seas, docked in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, at the time. The film then opened theatrically in the United States on October 28, 2011.
It played in 268 IMAX theaters
Puss in Boots was digitally re-mastered into IMAX 3D. It was released in 268 North American IMAX theaters and at least 47 IMAX theaters outside North America, and it was theatrically released in the United States on October 28, 2011.
The score mixed Latin folk and orchestra
Composer Henry Jackman utilized folk instruments of traditional Latin music. Inspired by Spanish composer Manuel de Falla, he blended guitars and Latin percussion with an orchestral sound influenced by Claude Debussy and Maurice Ravel.
Rodrigo y Gabriela and Lady Gaga featured
Mexican guitar duo Rodrigo y Gabriela contributed to Jackman’s score. Their songs “Diablo Rojo” and “Hanuman” were included in the soundtrack. Lady Gaga’s song “Americano” was also featured in the film.
Home video included a cat burglar short
The film was released on DVD, Blu-ray, and Blu-ray 3D on February 24, 2012, and included the short Puss in Boots: The Three Diablos. It grossed $72.3 million in home video sales and was the tenth best-selling title of 2012. Another extra, “Klepto Kitty”, is a three-minute profile of Dusty the Klepto Kitty, a California cat who steals items from neighbors’ yards.
Its Halloween record stood for 12 years
Puss in Boots grossed $149.2 million in the United States and Canada, and $405.7 million in other countries, for a worldwide total of $555 million. It was the eleventh highest-grossing film of 2011 and the third highest-grossing animated film that year, behind Kung Fu Panda 2 and Cars 2. On its opening weekend, it made $34.1 million, topping Saw III’s record for the highest Halloween weekend opening ever; the record stood for 12 years until Five Nights at Freddy’s surpassed it in 2023.
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Facts from Wikipedia: Puss in Boots (2011 film), available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Film images from TMDB. This product uses the TMDB API but is not endorsed or certified by TMDB.