Puss In Boots 2 has finally been confirmed and will be directed by Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse's Bob Persichetti. Voiced by none other than Antonio Banderas, Puss In Boots first debuted in 2004's Shrek 2 and became an immediate hit with fans old and young. Puss In Boots' popularity eventually led to the fencing feline getting his own solo movie in 2011 and despite being an offshoot of the Shrek franchise, Puss In Boots proved to be a hit with critics and made stacks of cash at the box office too.

Surprisingly, a Puss In Boots sequel never materialized. Talk of a follow-up began as early as 2012, with executive producer Guillermo del Toro confirming work on a script, and an official announcement was made in 2014, unveiling the title Puss In Boots 2: Nine Lives & Forty Thieves. The movie was slated for a late 2018 release date, but was dropped less than a year later in the midst of Universal Pictures' impending acquisition of DreamWorks Animation. In November last year, it was reported that both Shrek and Puss In Boots were to be rebooted by Chris Meledandri, although the producer didn't rule out bringing back the same voice cast.

Related: 26 Crazy Revelations Behind The Making Of Shrek

Apparently, those plans may have changed slightly, as Deadline is reporting that Puss In Boots 2 is now in the works under the watchful eye of Bob Persichetti. Latifa Ouaou will produce the sequel, representing Meledandri's Illumination animation studio. There's no news yet on a potential release date or whether the original cast will be returning.

Puss in Boots in Shrek 2

It's certainly not difficult to see the reasoning behind Persichetti's appointment. The director acted as Head of Story for the first Puss In Boots film, so is intimately familiar with these characters and the overall tone of the franchise. More recently however, Persichetti tasted Oscars success with Into The Spider-Verse, an animated alternative look at the Spider-Man story that was widely praised upon release as one of the best interpretations of the iconic Marvel superhero ever put to film. With that added Spider-experience and previous history in the franchise, Persichetti is the ideal choice to bring back Puss In Boots.

It is, however, very interesting that the reboot idea seems to have been scrapped in favor of a traditional sequel. Clearly, the development of Puss In Boots 2 has been a very turbulent process and DreamWorks has struggled to settle on a script. If Persichetti and his team do plan on bringing back Antonio Banderas and co., releasing a straight-up sequel makes a lot more sense than a reboot.

More: Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey & Rodney Rothman Interview: Spider-Verse

Puss In Boots 2 is currently without a release date. More news as it arrives.

Source: Deadline