Universal Pictures has shifted the release date of Shrek 5 to December 23, 2026, a few months later than initially planned. This move allows Minions 3, a spin-off from the Despicable Me franchise, to retain its original July 1, 2026, premiere. As reported by Variety, this scheduling keeps the Despicable Me films' tradition of a July 4th weekend release. Shrek 5, the first mainline entry in 16 years, will now aim for the lucrative holiday box office.
Initially announced in 2016, Shrek 5 remained largely under wraps until 2023 when Chris Meledandri, CEO of Illumination, confirmed its active development, along with hints of a potential Donkey spin-off.
Eddie Murphy, the voice of Donkey, further substantiated the project's progress in 2024, confirming recording had begun and expressing continued enthusiasm for both Shrek 5 and a solo Donkey film. "We started doing [Shrek 5] months ago," he stated. "I did this, I recorded the first act, and we'll be doing it this year. We’ll finish it up. Shrek is coming out, and Donkey's gonna have his own movie. We're gonna do Donkey as well."
The release of Shrek 5 will coincide with the 25th anniversary of the original Shrek film, which debuted in 2001. The franchise continued with Shrek 2 (2004), Shrek the Third (2007), and Shrek Forever After (2010).
The popular Puss in Boots character has also starred in two successful spin-offs: the first in 2011, and the critically acclaimed Puss in Boots: The Last Wish in 2022. The latter received glowing reviews, including a 9/10 score from IGN, which praised its "stunning animation" and "poignant, surprisingly mature story," calling it "the Shrek franchise's answer to Logan we didn't know we needed."
