Cameron Diaz tones down her leggy look for Shrek 4 premiere

By Georgina Littlejohn

From leggy to lady: Cameron Diaz changed from her short blue dress she sported at lunch into a chic and simple black dress for the Shrek Forever After premiere


He's the big, green, loveable ogre who's come a long way from wallowing in his swamp on the outskirts of the Kingdom of Far Far Away.

All the way to the bright lights of New York, in fact, where last night the world premiere of the fourth and final Shrek film was held.

All the stars of the internationally successful franchise were there, including Cameron Diaz, who treated fans to a more elegant look than the leggy one she showed off just a few hours earlier at lunch.

Cameron, 37, who has voiced the Princess Fiona character for all four films, was joined at the premiere of Shrek Forever After by her co-stars Mike Myers, 46, and Eddie Murphy and Antonio Banderas, both 49, at the Ziegfeld Theatre in Manhattan.

The actress kept it simple but chic in an elegant black dress as she posed on the green carpet - the colour a tribute to the giant ogre hero - with Myers, who voices Shrek, Murphy, who provides the voice for Donkey and Banderas, who voices Puss In Boots.

She also stood for snaps with Robert De Niro, the co-founder of the Tribeca Film Festival, which he launched in the city the day before.


All the gang together: The stars of the Shrek films (L-R) Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz, Antonio Banderas and Mike Myers attend the premiere of the fourth and final film in the animated series in New York last night


But the festival was officially opened with the screening of Shrek Forever After which was shown in 3D and became the first animated or 3D film to open the festival.

Speaking to Reuters, the film's director Mike Mitchell said: 'I think it's unique for Tribeca to embrace that (3D) aspect. Shrek in 3D is not just bells and whistles.

We have really concentrated on storytelling.'

The fourth and final offering in the series will no doubt be a box-office smash just like the first three, which have raked in a total of more than £1.4billion all over the world.


You looking at me? Tribeca Film Festival co-founder Robert De Niro poses at the premiere with the film's star Cameron Diaz


Elegant: Cameron smiles broadly for the cameras as she poses on the green carpet


Myers said: 'This Shrek experience...has been quality from start to finish. I will miss the character.'

Banderas said he believed the films have been popular because they're enjoyed by both kids and parents - 'but most especially by the parents'.

And he credited a loose atmosphere for the films' tone and added: 'We are absolutely not conditioned to say the lines in a specific way, but they allow us to improvise a lot.

'I know that is not the method used in all animated movies.'

The film, which is due out on May 21 in the US and July 9 in the UK, finds a 'bored and domesticated' Shrek make a pact with deal-maker Rumpelstiltskin to get back to feeling like a real ogre again.

But he is duped and sent to a twisted version of The Kingdom of Far Far Away, where Rumpelstiltskin is king, ogres are hunted, and he and Fiona have never met, so he sets out to 'restore his world and reclaim his true love'.

Mitchell added: 'It's kind of like a Shrek mid-life crisis. He's the Tony Soprano of children's films.'


Golden couples: Antonio Banderas and his actress wife Melanie Griffith and Rober De Niro and his wife Grace Hightower


Cameron's conservative look at the premiere was a far cry from the sexy number she sported just a few hours before, as she met Myers for lunch in Manhattan.

In photos that are sure to get women all over the world gnashing their teeth in envy, the star showed off a stunning set of pins as she arrived at the French Vietnamese Le Colonial restaurant.


Leggy: Cameron Diaz shows off her toned set of pins in a short mini dress as she goes for lunch in New York yesterday


Her long toned legs, which ended in a pair of grey Christian Louboutin shoe boots, still looked flawless as she climbed into her car.

She even managed to give the lucky photographers a flash of her knickers as she slid into the back seat.


Princess: Cameron, aptly dressed in royal blue, is escorted out of the Le Colonial restaurant yesterday where she dined with Shrek co-star Mike Myers


source :dailymail