Why John Lithgow wants a Lord Farquaad prequel after ‘Shrek’

John Lithgow has revealed that he would happily return to the world of Shrek, more than two decades after voicing the franchise’s original villain, Lord Farquaad.

Appearing on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, the Emmy-winning actor joked that he missed out on the lucrative future enjoyed by many of his fellow cast members because his character met an unfortunate end in the first film.

"Unfortunately, I never got any sequels because I was eaten by a dragon in the very first one," Lithgow said. "All the others went on and made millions just for spending five minutes."

Fallon suggested that a prequel focusing on Lord Farquaad’s earlier years could solve the problem. Lithgow quickly embraced the idea and responded with a simple message for DreamWorks.

"I’m available," he joked.

Although Lord Farquaad was devoured by Dragon during the climax of 2001’s Shrek, the character has appeared in additional franchise projects over the years. He featured in the short film Shrek in the Swamp Karaoke Dance Party, where he was shown singing from inside Dragon’s stomach, and later returned as a ghost in the Shrek 4-D attraction at Universal Studios.

During the interview, Lithgow also looked back on the making of the original film and recalled how filmmaker Conrad Vernon unexpectedly became the voice of the Gingerbread Man.

According to Lithgow, Vernon initially delivered lines for him during recording sessions while the production searched for a suitable actor. After auditioning numerous performers, the team eventually decided that Vernon himself was the perfect choice.

Lithgow joked that Vernon went on to enjoy a much longer association with the franchise than he did.

"And he became the Gingerbread Man for like five Shrek movies. Me? Eaten by that goddamn dragon!" he said.

Vernon later expanded his role behind the scenes by co-directing Shrek 2 and is set to return as co-director for Shrek 5 alongside Walt Dohrn.

The upcoming film, scheduled for release on June 30, 2027, will bring back franchise stars Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy and Cameron Diaz. The new instalment will also introduce a story centred on Shrek and Fiona’s children, who will be voiced by Zendaya, Marcello Hernandez and Skyler Gisondo.

While there are currently no announced plans for a Lord Farquaad spin-off, Lithgow’s comments suggest he would be more than willing to revisit one of the most memorable villains in animated film history.

More than 25 years after Shrek first arrived in cinemas, the actor still appears to have unfinished business with Farquaad and perhaps with that dragon as well.