Antonio Banderas is revealing that Puss in Boots: The Last Wish is an unexpectedly emotional film. The actor has voiced the rowdy feline character in the Shrek franchise since 2004 when Puss became a permanent member of the team. The 2011 spin-off, Puss in Boots, then introduced audiences to an early version of the Spanish-speaking cat, focusing on his adventures prior to meeting Shrek that resulted in the overconfident criminal becoming a more humble hero. Development of a potential sequel began in 2012, though Comcast’s acquisition of DreamWorks Animation and Universal Pictures’ decision to reboot the Shrek and Puss in Boots franchises led to a number of changes being made.
Directed by Joel Crawford, Puss in Boots: The Last Wish will follow Antonio Banderas’ titular character as he learns that he has exhausted eight of his nine lives. In an attempt to get them back, Puss and his friends will set out on a quest to find the Last Wish, but in doing so will have to dodge a new group of enemies. In addition to Banderas, the film will feature the return of Salma Hayek’s Kitty Softpaws, and introduce audiences to new characters voiced by Olivia Coleman, Ray Winstone, Wagner Moura, Florence Pugh, John Mulaney, and more. Set to be released on December 21, 2022, fans are now starting to get their first looks at The Last Wish and its story over a decade after Puss in Boots premiered.
Now, while speaking with USA Today, Antonio Banderas is explaining why Puss in Boots: The Last Wish is surprisingly emotional. When asked about what he can tease from the upcoming animated comedy, the actor says that the film looks at life in a very beautiful way. He goes on to share that in watching some of it, he had tears in his eyes seeing the circumstances and the character of Puss actually experiencing fear. Read Banderas’ quote regarding what makes The Last Wish so emotional below:
“We finished (recording) a couple weeks ago and they said to me, “Do you want to see a little bit of it?” And what they did is very interesting: Puss has nine lives and he realizes at the beginning of the movie that he only has one left. So the whole movie reflects about life itself in a very beautiful way. They showed me scenes where I got tears in my eyes. That hero (Puss) once was, now he’s apprehensive and you can see the fear. I thought it was very intelligently put together.“
As the release of The Last Wish draws closer, audiences are getting more and more content to raise anticipations. And after seeing Puss in the latest trailer, they might have a better understanding of Banderas’ remarks. From the looks of it, this once strong, gutsy cat is faced with the threat of a completely different lifestyle and there is now a sense of dire stakes as Puss in Boots’ actions have life or death stakes.
With all of Shrek‘s in-universe projects being financially successful, as well as a source of nostalgia, it makes sense to bring Puss in Boots back. Fans are certainly excited to see Antonio Banderas voicing the character again, and when hearing about the emotional response from someone so attached to the role, it will be interesting to see how much the story resonates with audiences as well. Fans can look forward to seeing all that Puss in Boots: The Last Wish offers when it hits theaters this Christmas.
