10 More Huge Box Office Hits NOBODY Saw Coming

On the back of the main series of Shrek movies being seemingly wrapped up (for now) with 2010's rather disappointing but financially successful Shrek Forever After, DreamWorks turned their attention to the loveable ginger furball for a spin-off adventure.

That project ended up becoming 2011's Puss in Boots, with the Chris Miller-directed swashbuckling spin-off earning $555 million from a $130 million budget and being received far better than that previous Shrek fourquel.

With it taking a whopping 11 years for the studio to squeeze out a follow-up to this Antonio Banderas-starring animated tale, though, there were definitely folks out there who wondered if a Puss in Boots sequel would be able to match the prior entry's success both critically and at the box office. Would there still be an audience out there clamouring to see this booted feline hero trying to keep from running out of lives?

Judging from the fact this refreshing sequel/soft reboot, with a $90-110 million budget, ultimately turned into one of 2022's biggest unexpected hits, earning $485 million after positive word-of-mouth and scoring an impressive 95% on Rotten Tomatoes, the answer was unquestionably a big ol' yes.

Showing off some of the most spectacular visuals DreamWorks have unleashed in years, and containing a deeply compelling narrative that dives into everything from mortality to anxiety, The Last Wish was the sort of captivating gift no one honestly expected to unwrap during that year's festive period.