Justin Timberlake Stars As Artie In Shrek The Third

Global pop/R&B sensation Justin Timberlake will be seen as never before in this summer's highly anticipated Shrek the Third, joining the "Shrek" family as Fiona's teenage cousin and medieval high school outcast, Artie; a central character in the new film.

Timberlake relished the opportunity to become involved with the Shrek phenomenon, and enjoyed the challenge that working on an animated motion picture presented: "Voice acting is so different from any other type of acting. You imagine what your character is going to look and sound like, so your energy is greater than it would normally be."

Director Chris Miller originally thought of Timberlake to play Artie after being impressed by his work as guest host on "Saturday Night Live", explaining: "Justin has a certain charm. He is a very natural comedian, and the more we interacted with him, the more the character of Artie became like Justin." Shrek the Third marks Justin's third film release in the UK in 2007, after Alpha Dog, which has already earned him rave reviews and the forthcoming Black Snake Moan. Justin is currently on tour in the UK for his highly lauded "FutureSex/LoveSounds Show," off the back of his multi-platinum album "FutureSex/LoveSounds," which produced three consecutive number one singles.

Shrek the Third: When Shrek married Princess Fiona, becoming the next King and Queen of Far, Far Away wasn't part of the plan. So when his father-in-law, King Harold, falls ill, it is up to Shrek to find a suitable heir or he will be forced to give up his beloved swamp for the throne. Recruiting Donkey and Puss In Boots for a new quest, Shrek sets out to bring back the rightful heir to the throne, Fiona's rebellious cousin Artie.

Back in Far, Far Away, Fiona's jilted Prince Charming storms the city with an army of fairy tale villains to seize the throne. But they have a surprise in store because Fiona, together with her mother, Queen Lillian, has drafted her fellow fairy tale heroines to defend their "happily ever afters." As Shrek, Donkey and Puss work on changing Artie from a royal pain in the you-know-what into a future king, Fiona and her band of princesses must stop Prince Charming to ensure there will be a kingdom left to rule.

The original casts from Shrek and Shrek 2 -- Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz, Antonio Banderas, Rupert Everett, Julie Andrews and John Cleese -- will reprise their roles in this third chapter of the Shrek story. The new cast also includes British actors - Eric Idle as Merlin, Ian McShane as Captain Hook and American John Krasinski (The Office: An American Workplace) as Lancelot. Shrek the Third is presented by Paramount Pictures and DreamWorks Animation and is directed by Chris Miller and co-directed by Raman Hui. The film is being produced by Aron Warner and executive produced by Andrew Adamson and John H. Williams.

'Shrek The Third' is distributed in the UK and Ireland by Paramount Pictures UK and will open nationwide on June 29th 2007.