When Will We Get To See Shrek 5?
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4 hours ago
Universal has finally released a teaser trailer for Shrek 5 – but when will we get to see the full film?
Shrek fans know the fourth film, Shrek Forever After (2010), was supposed to be the last in the core franchise – but rumours of a fifth instalment have been floating around since 2014. By 2016, Shrek 5 was looking pretty likely, but a series of delays meant Eddie Murphy wasn’t back in the studio recording his lines as Donkey until 2024. As contracts changed and DreamWorks was ultimately bought out by Universal in 2016, it seems there were delays across the board: while Puss in Boots landed in cinemas in 2011, it was another 11 years before Puss in Boots: The Last Wish arrived, and a slated Donkey spin-off has been in development for a long while.
But flash forward to February 2025 and we finally have a Shrek 5 teaser trailer – and a release date. Here’s what you need to know. But first, the teaser trailer…
Shrek 5: Plot, Cast, Release Date & More
What Will Happen?
No official synopsis from DreamWorks just yet on what will happen in Shrek 5, but we can make some early deductions. It’s clear there’s a time-jump between Shrek Forever After and Shrek 5, as Felicia seems like a teenager with her styled hair, necklace, green lipstick and nose ring. If DreamWorks stays true to reality, she’s probably around 16 years old – though she might be even older.
As she is the first of the three triplets to be introduced (and she’s voiced by a very famous star), we’re sure Felicia is going to play a large part in the plot of Shrek 5. Some fans have speculated, probably inspired by the self-conscious use of TikTok and Shrek memes in the teaser, that Felicia will reflect Gen Z sentiments and might even be struggling with going to school in Far Far Away – or even picking a university.
The Core Cast Returns – Joined By Zendaya
Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy and Cameron Diaz are all back voicing Shrek, Donkey and Princess Fiona – and they’re joined by another Hollywood A-lister. Zendaya is officially part of the Shrek family, voicing Shrek and Fiona’s daughter Felicia.
No other stars have been confirmed yet, but Felicia is famously one of three triplets: Fergus, Farkle and Felicia. Who will voice Fergus and Farkle? We’ll have to wait and see.
The full cast we know so far includes:
- Mike Myers as Shrek
- Eddie Murphy as Donkey
- Cameron Diaz as Princess Fiona
- Zendaya as Felicia
- Chris Miller as The Magic Mirror
- Cody Cameron as Pinocchio
However, we’re also hopeful some of our favourites will return for the flick, including (but not limited to) Puss in Boots (Antonio Banderas), Queen Lillian (Julie Andrews), Dragon, Gingy (Conrad Vernon) and The Three Little Pigs (also voiced by Cody Cameron). And who knows what the Dronkeys are up to these days?
What’s Going On With The Animation?
Fans were quick to notice the differences in animation style in the above teaser for Shrek 5: some have noted how smooth it seems, while others don’t like Shrek’s bushier eyebrows and longer face, or the way Fiona has aged. In fact, both of the ogre parents have some signs of aging (including forehead wrinkles, crows feet and liver spots for Shrek), as does Donkey with some tufts of white hair.
Overall, it seems the DreamWorks team have focussed on detail: Donkey’s strands of hair are more visible, while Shrek and Fiona look, dare we say it, more realistic. In the gap between Shrek Forever After (2010) and Shrek 5 (2026), DreamWorks has adopted a cutting edge animation engine called MoonRay (first used on How To Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World (2019), which allows for true-to-life lighting, smoother textures and refined character features, explaining Shrek’s subtly zhuzhed ears, mouth and nose.
A comparable case of backlash to animation adjustments is Sonic the Hedgehog (2020), which Paramount took back to the drawing board after fans slated the blue hedgehog’s new look. Will DreamWorks do the same for Shrek 5? Only time will tell – and there’s plenty to go. Regardless, we’re sure the animators are pleased people are talking passionately about Shrek 5 almost two years before it is set to land in cinemas.
Release Date
Shrek 5 is slated to land in cinemas on 23 December 2026.
As for streaming, Shrek 5 will reportedly be available to stream on Peacock 120 days later (22 April 2027), before arriving on Netflix four months after that (22 August 2027).
