Universal Pictures has shifted the release date of Shrek 5 by a few months, pushing it back to December 23, 2026. This move allows Minions 3, a spin-off from the Despicable Me franchise, to maintain its original July 1, 2026 release date, capitalizing on the lucrative Independence Day box office.
Variety reports that this scheduling change keeps the Despicable Me films' tradition of a July 4th weekend release. Shrek 5, meanwhile, now aims for the highly competitive holiday season of 2026, marking its return after a 16-year absence from the big screen.
Initially announced in 2016, the project remained largely under wraps for several years. However, Chris Meledandri, CEO of Illumination, confirmed its active development in 2023, expressing interest in a potential Donkey spin-off as well.
Eddie Murphy, the voice of Donkey, further confirmed the film's progress in 2024, adding fuel to the Donkey spin-off speculation. "We started working on [Shrek 5] months ago," he revealed. "I recorded the first act, and we'll be finishing it this year. Shrek is coming out, and Donkey's going to have his own movie. We're going to do Donkey as well."
The release of Shrek 5 will coincide with the 25th anniversary of the original Shrek film, which premiered 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 film received rave reviews, earning 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."
