Shrek, meet stork! What is a lovable green monster to do after marrying his ladylove, Fiona, in his '01 movie debut and winning over his snobby in-laws in its '04 sequel? The answer, says Chris Miller, director of
Shrek the Third (out May 18), was to hit the maternity ward. "It was time to take the next step—having kids," he says. Not just one bundle of joy, mind you, but triplets making their first appearance in the pages of PEOPLE. And while he's a global superstar, in his latest movie
Shrek (voiced by Mike Myers) has as much trouble coping with fatherhood as a non-animated dad. When the little monsters—their parents haven't yet picked out names—arrive, the hapless ogre "feels like he's not suited for fatherhood," says Miller. Luckily, being a mom "comes very naturally to Fiona," voiced by
Cameron Diaz. There's also plenty of support from side-kicks Donkey (Eddie Murphy) and Puss in Boots (Antonio Banderas), who act as "those uncles that always hang out." And now that Shrek has gotten the hang of parenthood, what challenges might await him in
Shrek 4? "Probably a midlife crisis," jokes Miller. "That's the next thing. Shrek's going to get a red Porsche."
For more Shrek the Third photos go to people.com/shrek
