Universal Pictures has shifted the release date of Shrek 5, pushing it back a few months to December 23, 2026. This allows the Despicable Me spin-off, Minions 3, to maintain its original July 1, 2026, premiere, capitalizing on the lucrative Independence Day box office.
Variety reports that this scheduling change ensures the continuation of the Despicable Me franchise's Independence Day release tradition. Shrek 5, conversely, will now aim for the 2026 holiday season, marking its return after a 16-year hiatus.
While initially announced in 2016, the project remained dormant for several years. However, in 2023, Chris Meledandri, Illumination CEO, confirmed its active development, hinting at a potential Donkey spin-off.
Eddie Murphy, the voice of Donkey, further solidified the project's progress in 2024, confirming recording sessions and expressing enthusiasm for both Shrek 5 and a standalone 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."
Shrek 5's release 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 Puss in Boots spin-off series has also proven successful, with the first installment in 2011 and the critically acclaimed Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (2022) receiving a 9/10 rating from IGN. IGN lauded the film's "stunning animation" and "poignant, surprisingly mature story," describing it as "the Shrek franchise's answer to Logan we didn't know we needed."
