The film-turned-franchise is loosely based on the 1990 fantasy picture book of the same name by William Steig. "Shrek!" (the book) tells the tale of the eponymous green-skinned, fire ...

"Shrek!" The book was written by William Steig, who died on Oct. 3, 2003, and therefore could not be contacted to determine whether his character was based on the 20th-century wrestler.

Shrek is based on the 1990 book from writer William Steig. The franchise kicked off in 2001 when Shrek embarked on a quest to rescue Princess Fiona, winning the Oscar for best animated feature film.