Shrek is a 2001 computer-animated American comedy film; directed by Andrew Adamson and Vicky Jenson; and starring the voices of Mike Myers; Eddie Murphy; Cameron Diaz; and John Lithgow. Based on William Steig's 1990 fairy tale picture book Shrek!; the film was produced by DreamWorks Animation. Shrek was the first film to win an Academy Award for Best Animated Feature; a category introduced in 2001. It was released on DVD and VHS on November 7; 2001.The film stars Myers as a large; strong; solitude-loving; intimidating ogre named Shrek; Diaz as the beautiful but very down-to-earth and feisty Princess Fiona; Murphy as a talkative donkey named Donkey; and Lithgow as the villainous Lord Farquaad.