And if the human who gives him voice has his say, Shrek for years to come will be making the land of Far Far Away safe and funny for kids, their parents and just about anyone who loves movies.

"I don't make many movies," says Mike Myers, seriously understating the case. In the last 10 years, Myers has appeared in exactly nine released films. In three, he's starred as shagadelic super-spy Austin Powers, and in four of the others, he's taken only small roles and cameos. "But you know, I'll make Shrek movies for as long as people want to see them if they can keep this team together.

"Working with these people, it's like playing on a Stanley Cup-winning team. Nobody settles for anything less than excellence, you know? And everybody, everybody, is working their butt off for the goal. For the team and for the fans. Is that one too many hockey metaphors? Sorry. I love doing this almost as much as I love the game."

For once, the team analogy is not a cliche. Unlike most films, where the driving force can be a producer, a director, a writer or the stars, the Shrek films are true collaborations.

"Somebody may have a seed of an original idea, but in the three years we spend making a 'Shrek,' it can grow into something completely different or just get scattered in the wind," says Chris Miller. Miller has the screen credit for directing "Shrek the Third" but describes his role as "one of a hundred storytellers."

"It's just a way of getting started, and then everyone gets their hands in it, including Jeffrey" - Katzenberg, the DreamWorks co-founder - "the story team, the animators and the cast members, everybody."

For "Shrek the Third," the seed was in Shrek dealing with the responsibility of becoming a father, a natural outgrowth, Miller says, of his marriage to Princess Fiona (the voice of Cameron Diaz) in "Shrek 2." But before any little ogres come along, Shrek, in an attempt to avoid succeeding Fiona's father (John Cleese) as king without ceding the kingdom to Prince Charming (Rupert Everett), finds himself a reluctant father figure to distant relative Artie (Justin Timberlake), a petulant teenager Shrek would rather see installed in the throne.

"It's the perfect working situation for an actor, especially one who grew up on improv, like all the 'Saturday Night Live' people in the cast," says Amy Poehler, who joins the crew as Snow White. Fellow "SNL"-ers Cheri Oteri and Maya Rudolph also come on board as Sleeping Beauty and Rapunzel, respectively.

But at some point, doesn't the director, or Katzenberg, have to call a halt to all this so "Shrek the Third" can be in theaters on the day the posters and trailers promise?

"Yeah," says Miller. "We hate that."