Peacock Just Added One of DreamWorks’ Biggest Movies, Nearly Completing the Franchise

DreamWorks Animation has been the driving force behind some of the world’s most beloved animated franchises, and a recent arrival to Peacock means one of the studio’s best is nearly streaming in full. The NBCUniversal streamer rang in the new year with a wave of new titles for subscribers. Among additions like Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom and The Maze Runner was one of DreamWorks’ highest-grossing movies.

With a $756 million box office haul, Shrek Forever After became the fifth-highest-grossing film of 2010 and DreamWorks’ fourth-highest-grossing movie of all time, and it’s now streaming on Peacock as of January 1st. The movie marked the fourth and most recent entry in the Shrek franchise and saw Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, and Cameron Diaz reprise their voice roles as Shrek, longing for the days when he felt like a real ogre, makes a deal with the deceitful Rumpelstiltskin. The film’s arrival means that fans can stream nearly the complete Shrek franchise all in one place ahead of Shrek 5, with only the spin-off movie Puss in Boots missing from the lineup.

Shrek Forever After Is Still a Massive Hit Despite Mixed Reviews

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Shrek Forever After’s box office haul was enough to secure its Top 5 ranking in the larger scope of DreamWorks’ biggest commercial hits, but that success didn’t translate into the best reviews. The movie was met with mixed reviews from critics and audiences alike, and the film’s 58% critic score and 54% audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes make it the second-lowest-rated Shrek film.

Although the movie was seen as a return to form for the franchise after the series’ lowest-rated movie, Shrek the Third, it still suffered from franchise fatigue and generally failed to capture the original’s clever wit and charm. The film’s humor was viewed as stale in comparison to earlier entries, and the storyline forced and uninspiring, even if it did introduce an energetic villain in Rumpelstiltskin and deliver genuine heart and emotion.

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That mixed reception hasn’t stopped Shrek Forever After from still being a massively popular movie. The film has enjoyed repeated success on streaming, soaring to the top of streaming charts practically as soon as it’s made available on platforms, and it’s once again replicating that success on Peacock. Shrek Forever After launched onto Peacock’s Top 10 streaming chart just a day after its arrival, taking the No. 5 spot and climbing all the way up to its current No. 2 position. The movie only falls behind Bugonia and beats out other animated favorites such as Despicable Me 4, How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World, Shark Tale, and The Croods: A New Age.

What’s New on Peacock?

Peacock has a great movie library, and it added some awesome titles already this month. Subscribers looking for options for family movie night can now stream other hits like All Dogs Go to Heaven, the animated How to Train Your Dragon trilogy, Shark Tale, and the beloved ‘90s classic Little Giants. Other new-to-Peacock movies include The Da Vinci Code, Lee Daniels’ The Butler, Mad Max, and The Tomorrow War.

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