Andrew Adamson

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Lore & Background

Adamson directed Shrek, the first installment in the series, based on the 1990 picture book by William Steig with a modest budget of US$60 million in 2001. The film became a worldwide success, taking in nearly $500 million at the box office, including more than $40 million in its opening weekend. It featured the lead voices of Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz and John Lithgow. The next film, Shrek 2 (2004), had a budget of around $150 million and was an even bigger success, taking in more than $900 million worldwide. It opened to over $100 million, one of the highest openings ever at the time. Adamson directed this film and also wrote the story. He did not direct Shrek the Third, as he had been contracted by Walden Media to work on The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe; instead, he served as executive producer.

In Their Own Story

Adamson wanted to be an architect, but missed a university enrolment deadline because of a car accident. He was recruited by Pacific Data Images to work in the USA. The company opened an office in Los Angeles. There he served as a technical director for Toys (1992), starring Robin Williams, and Angels in the Outfield (1994), starring Danny Glover. He served as visual effects supervisor on the 1995 film Batman Forever, A Time to Kill (1996), and Batman & Robin (1997).

Reader's Guide

Adamson achieved commercial success and worldwide attention with The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, which he co-produced, co-wrote and directed. The film is based on the book by C. S. Lewis, won various awards, gained critical praise and was a box office success, becoming the third highest-grossing film worldwide of 2005. It opened in the US and Canada with totals higher than $65 million and ended with a worldwide gross of $744,783,957 on a budget of $180 million. He returned as director for Prince Caspian, which grossed over $419 million at the box office. Adamson returned as producer of The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, released in December 2010. Experimental hip hop group Death Grips collaborated with Adamson on their 2018 album Year of the Snitch; he appears on the track "Dilemma," delivering a spoken word introduction.

Did You Know?

• Adamson was born in New Zealand on 1 December 1966 and moved to Papua New Guinea with his parents when he was eleven years old.
• He missed a university enrolment deadline because of a car accident, which led him to a career in film instead of architecture.
• Shrek won the first Academy Award for Best Animated Feature at the 74th Academy Awards ceremony.
• Adamson was appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to film, in the 2006 Queen's Birthday Honours.
• He collaborated with experimental hip hop group Death Grips on their 2018 album Year of the Snitch, appearing on the track 'Dilemma.'