So, does Donkey from Shrek actually come from the story Pinocchio? There are little hints spread throughout the film. In the Shrek films, Donkey was never really given a back story. His portrayal in the book “Shrek!” by William Steig he was just a minor character however in the films his role in the story was greatly expounded upon. His role being primarily to provide comic relief and offer words of wisdom when needed.
The origins of many of the characters in Shrek are, for the most part, well known. The Gingerbread Man or the three blind mice but as for Donkey we know little to nothing. This is where this theory comes in.
In the 1940 movie “Pinocchio” Pinocchio visited Pleasure Island, a place where young people can associate and live carefree without all that adult supervision. However, not all is as it seems. It turns out that the children are being turned into donkeys and then sold into slavery. One feature that they kept, though, was their ability to talk. The fan theory states that Donkey from Shrek is actually one of these boys.
The later Shrek films expounded on this. Donkey makes references to being bullied and suffering wedgies when he was young, the latter only making sense within the context of Donkey actually being human at some part in his life.
Most of this theory holds water however, there is a small hole. The filmmakers behind the Shrek films have said that Donkey was originally gonna be a regular donkey who was cursed. However the movies never mention this so it isn’t canon.
Theories like this are fun to look into and can really make you think. What else is hiding in our favorite films? Only by digging deep can we discover these secrets.
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