Universal and DreamWorks are gearing up for the long-awaited film Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, a sequel to the studio's 2011 movie Puss in Boots. Per an exclusive with Deadline, the new film will see the addition of several new cast members along with the return of Salma Hayek as Kitty Softpaws, Puss’ love interest from the first film. Antonio Banderas returns to play the titular cat as well. Joining the duo on this epic adventure is Harvey Guillén, making his debut into the franchise as Perro, Kitty and Puss’ new canine contact.

Puss in Boots: The Last Wish follows Puss who is on the last of his nine lives. Together, with Kitty and Perro, the thrill-seeking feline must journey to find the mythical Last Wish to restore the lives he has lost. The film will also see many notable stars and comedians join the Shrek universe, including Florence Pugh, Olivia Colman, Wagner Moura, Ray Winstone, John Mulaney, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Anthony Mendez, and Samson Kayo. The project is set to be directed by Joel Crawford and produced by Mark Swift, who last worked together on fellow DreamWorks sequel The Croods: A New Age, that won the duo a Golden Globe nomination for Best Picture. Januel Mercado, who acted as part of The Croods creative team, will also serve as co-director for the Puss in Boots sequel.

Puss in Boots: The Last Wish is a sequel fans have been waiting a literal decade for. After the first film’s commercial success, garnering over $554 million in the worldwide box office, it seemed like a no-brainer for DreamWorks and Universal to green light another movie. However, dude to restricting within DreamWorks, the project was announced and shelved a number of times over the decade.

RELATED: 7 Prequels That Are Actually Great MoviesInitially called Puss in Boots 2: Nine Lives & 40 Thieves, the film was helmed by Bob Persichetti, the first film’s Head of Story and later the co-director of Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. Original Puss in Boots producer Latifa Ouaou as also set to return. For reasons undisclosed, Persichetti and Ouaou left the project and the reins were handed over to Crawford, Mercado, and Swift. With no more delays in sights, Puss in Boots: The Last Wish is set to release in theaters September 23, 2022, as confirmed by DreamWorks. Reportedly, the film’s first trailer will release on March 15 and reintroduce fans to the daring feline they have come to enjoy.