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Puss in Boots is finally back with another epic adventure full of battles against his fairytale foes. The sequel to the Shrek spin-off Puss In Boots comes eleven years after the first feline-fronted film, which was released in 2011 and starred Antonio Banderas as the voice of the wildly cute and fierce furry bandit.
The follow-up film to Puss In Boots was originally announced in June 2014, but due to restructuring at DreamWorks, the then-titled Puss in Boots 2: Nine Lives & 40 Thieves was removed from the schedule. Now renamed Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, the Guillermo del Toro-produced picture is finally scheduled for release. Fans of the franchise cannot wait to see the return of Puss with his skillful swordsmanship, smooth-talking demeanor, and absolutely hilarious timing. And if you're one of those fans (like us) then this guide will give you all the information you need on this much-awaited movie.
Editor's Note: This piece was updated on December 17.
Is There a Trailer For Puss in Boots: The Last Wish?
The film's preview was released by Universal Pictures on March 15, 2022, and shows the furry hero saving his small hometown of San Ricardo from a colossal enemy and recounting the many daring ways he has spent the last eight of his nine lives. For Puss, it wasn’t curiosity that killed the cat, but rather an insatiable love for adventure and an unfortunate shellfish allergy. The trailer also gives viewers a peek into which characters are making a return for the sequel, and who Puss’ new enemies will be.
The second trailer for Puss in Boots: The Last Wish was released on June 15, 2022. The trailer gives fans a better look at the film's plot, as our favorite feline, Puss, has a fall from grace, and decides to live with an elderly woman and her dozens of cats. It's there where he meets Perro, a therapy dog disguised as a cat, who he forms an unlikely friendship with. Things take a turn for the worst when Goldilocks and the three bears send out bounty hunters to find Puss, which forces him to reunite with his former flame Kitty Softpaws.
The third and likely final trailer for Puss in Boots: The Last Wish hit the web on November 15, 2022. The trailer plays up on the film's connections to the world of Shrek complete with an "All-Star" by Smash Mouth needle-drop and a cameo by the one and only Gingy. The trailer also gives us more details on the supposed "last wish" that Puss seeks to find before he runs out of lives.
When Is the Release Date of Puss in Boots: The Last Wish?
A Puss in Boots sequel was announced to be released back in 2018. Four years later, we finally got a concrete timeline, with Puss in Boots: The Last Wish set to be released on September 23, 2022. The film was later pushed back one final time to December 21, 2022, right in time for Christmas. Like many movies being released in 2022, Puss in Boots: The Last Wish will be only available to view in theaters. This comes after years of many films going straight to streaming. There is no word yet from the film's distributor, Universal Pictures, if it will be available on DVD, BluRay, or Digital Download or when it will eventually be available to stream on Peacock. At this time, if you are hoping to see Puss in his second solo film then be sure to snag yourself a seat at your local theater when the movie hits the screens. A one-day public screening of the movie was held at select theaters on November 26, 2022. Ahead of the premiere, we at Collider also hosted a special screening of Puss in Boots: The Last Wish on Friday, December 16, on the DreamWorks Animation Campus with the directors (and a hot chocolate bar). And with the movie all set to hit theaters, you can look for showtimes and tickets at a theater near you using the link below:
What Cast Members Will be Returning for Puss in Boots: The Last Wish?
Antonio Banderas will return to star as the gazpacho-loving gato, Puss in Boots, in the upcoming sequel. Since the last Puss in Boots film, the Spanish actor has appeared in a number of films and television shows, most recently portraying the ruthless Santiago Moncada in the film adaptation of the video game Uncharted. Interestingly, the multilingual actor has voiced Puss in the Spanish and Italian dubs of the films in addition to the original English cuts.
Salma Hayek will reprise her role as Kitty Softpaws, the love interest and counterpart of Puss. A streetsmart female feline and master manipulator, she is talented with a sword and even more so with her words. Hayek is an accomplished actress who is known for her portrayal of Frida Kahlo in the 2002 film Frida. Most recently, she portrayed Pina Auriemma, the ex-best friend of Patrizia Reggiani, in the 2021 film The House of Gucci.
Who Are the New Cast Members in Puss in Boots: The Last Wish?
Puss’ new nemesis, Goldilocks, will be voiced by actress Florence Pugh, who is known for her starring role as Dani in the colorful 2019 horror film Midsommar. This will be Pugh’s first venture into voice acting.
Puss and Kitty Softpaws will be joined by a new companion on their adventure in the sequel, a scruffy pup named Perro, who will be voiced by Harvey Guillén. You may recognize Guillén from his role as the hilariously awkward Zach in the 2013 comedy film, The Internship. Guillén is an experienced voice actor, having previously voiced characters on Mickey Mouse Funhouse, as well as the adult animation shows Human Resources and Archer.
Comedian John Mulaney will voice "Big" Jack Horner, Academy Award Winner Olivia Colman will voice Mama Bear, Samson Kayo will be Baby Bear, Da’Vine Joy Randolph as Mama Luna, Wagner Moura as the Big Bad Wolf, Ray Winstone as Papa Bear, and Anthony Mendez in an undisclosed role.
What Is the Plot of Puss in Boots: The Last Wish?
The official description released by Universal Pictures is as follows:
This holiday season, everyone’s favorite leche-loving, swashbuckling, fear-defying feline returns. For the first time in more than a decade, DreamWorks Animation presents a new adventure in the Shrek universe as daring outlaw Puss in Boots discovers that his passion for peril and disregard for safety have taken their toll. Puss has burned through eight of his nine lives, though he lost count along the way. Getting those lives back will send Puss in Boots on his grandest quest yet. Academy Award® nominee Antonio Banderas returns as the voice of the notorious PiB as he embarks on an epic journey into the Black Forest to find the mythical Wishing Star and restore his lost lives. But with only one life left, Puss will have to humble himself and ask for help from his former partner and nemesis: the captivating Kitty Softpaws (Oscar® nominee Salma Hayek Pinault). In their quest, Puss and Kitty will be aided—against their better judgment—by a ratty, chatty, relentlessly cheerful mutt, Perrito (Harvey Guillén, What We Do in the Shadows). Together, our trio of heroes will have to stay one step ahead of Goldi (Oscar® nominee Florence Pugh, Black Widow) and the Three Bears Crime Family, Jack Horner (Emmy winner John Mulaney, Big Mouth) and terrifying bounty hunter, the big, bad Wolf (Wagner Moura, Narcos).
The character Puss in Boots is based on an Italian fairytale character from the 1500s, Gatto Con Gli Stivali, depicted as an anthropomorphic cat who utilizes his skills of trickery and deceit to aid his master in taking the hand of a princess in marriage, all the while getting his paws on money and power as a great lord. The DreamWorks retelling of this character’s story is very different, with his creators drawing inspiration from cat videos on YouTube along with some of film's great adventurers, Indiana Jones and Zorro, the latter of which Banderas portrayed in the 1998 film.
When Puss was first conceptualized for the Shrek franchise, his creators wanted him to have a wild backstory, in which he had been everywhere and done everything. After stealing the show and the hearts of audiences in Shrek 2, filmmaker Chris Miller wanted to dive into the life that Puss had before his time in Far Far Away. These spinoff films give audiences a peek into the long and storied past of the lovable and occasionally milk-drunk hero.
Since Puss’ first solo film, in which he took on his best frenemy Humpty Dumpty (Zach Galifianakis) in a battle over magic beans and a golden goose, the hero has lived a very full life. In the sequel, he will face a new enemy: his own mortality.
After getting his bell run, literally and figuratively, Puss is in his last life and is reminded by Kitty Softpaws to make it special. After hearing the fable of the Last Wish, Puss pulls himself up by his bootstraps and sets off on another adventure. Puss is living every day like it’s his last while fighting his way through folktale foes and searching for his last chance at another chance. On his journeys, Puss will come face to face with another foe with fairytale heritage, a crime family led by Goldilocks who is followed by her three bear cronies. Audiences will have to wait and see what troubled history leads these two characters to battle.
Will There Be a Puss In Boots 3?
If Puss is indeed able to find the Last Wish and restore his nine lives, then the door is open for even more adventures for the macho gato in the town of San Ricardo and beyond. This comes with murmurs of a fifth Shrek movie that was announced by DreamWorks back in 2016. The expected release date for this fifth film has been pushed back from 2018 to now 2022, with no confirmation from DreamWorks on if this will come to fruition. With Mike Myers, Cameron Diaz, and Eddie Murphy all being active once more after all their respective breaks, it seems likely they'll be back to voice Shrek, Fiona, and Donkey.