What is the Shrek 5 release date? Shrek is arguably one of the most famous animated movies of the last few decades, thanks to its heartfelt story about finding true love in unlikely places. Although let’s face it, the reason it’s really become so popular online is the sheer amount of memes it’s given birth to.
Whether it’s the depraved Shrek is Love, Shrek is Life videos, or the avalanche of ogre-the-top Twitter puns, Shrek has cemented himself as an icon of the best animated movies. Although after four Shrek movies, several spin-offs, and a handful of shorts, some fans have accepted that Shrek may never get to go on another adventure with Donkey (Eddie Murphy), Fiona (Cameron Diaz), and the wide array of magical creatures in the fairytale world.
Thankfully, the powers that be are still committed to more adventure movies in the franchise and we can confirm that a brand-new comedy movie is in development. So check yourself before you Shrek yourself, and let’s take a look at everything we know about Shrek 5.
Shrek 5 release date speculation
Sorry but, as of March 2023, there’s no Shrek 5 release date at this time.
Shrek 5 has been in development ever since Universal splashed out and bought DreamWorks Entertainment back in 2017, as talented executive and producer Chris Meledandri was touted to join the senior leadership of the studio (via Variety).
Instead, he decided to take the reins of the Shrek franchise, immediately focusing on a brand-new Puss in Boots movie – check out our Puss in Boots 2 review – as well as another feature-length Shrek adventure. (It’s also worth noting that Meledandri is working on the Super Mario Bros. movie, which is set to star Chris Pratt as the titular plumber…)
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So, fans will just have to make do with the previous movies and the vast amount of memes that are out there already while they wait for Shrek 5. Are we there yet? Not quite, but there’s not that long to go really. We’re sure you can be patient.
Shrek 5 cast speculation
There are no confirmed cast members for Shrek 5 as of March 2023, but Mike Myers and Eddie Murphy have said they’re open to it.
The most important question about this new Shrek movie is whether DreamWorks and Illumination are bringing the original cast back to reprise their roles from the previous movies. Because their vocal performances are so integral to the characters, it would be incredibly difficult to replace them with new stars – and Chris Meledandri is more than aware of the legacy they created.
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He told Variety: “When you look back on those vocal performances they’re awesome, and while you certainly could make a case for a complete reinvention, I find myself responding to my own nostalgic feelings of wanting to go back to those characterizations.”
Thankfully, Mike Myers is ready to jump back into the role – as the star recently told GQ that he’d love to do a Shrek movie every year. “The concept of going from a self-loathing ogre to a self-accepting ogre was meaningful to me. I love playing Shrek. If I had to do one Shrek a year, I’d be thrilled.”
Eddie Murphy is also fully on board, telling Etalk (via Digital Spy) that he would “do it in two seconds” if he was asked to come back as Donkey and took a swipe at Puss in Boots, suggesting he should’ve got a spin-off movie instead. Murphy added: “They have to want to do it. Dreamworks, if you all want to do it, just call me. I’m ready, I’m sitting and ready to do Donkey.”
There could be good news for Puss in Boots fans as well, with the final scene of Puss in Boots 2 featuring the Antonio Banderas character and his buddies arriving in the kingdom of Far Far Away with the aim of visiting “some old friends”.
Banderas seems keen, telling Radio Times: “It doesn’t depend on me, normally sequels are chosen by the audience. If they go to the movie theatre massively in the way that they are responding to Puss in Boots probably this could lead to the possibility of another movie with Puss. Or as the movie indicates towards the end when you see Far Far Away, they are going to visit some old friends at the end of the movie – maybe Shrek is coming back.”
It remains to be seen what Cameron Diaz and the rest of the Shrek cast think about the prospect of returning for Shrek 5 (or whatever it ends up being called) for one last ride to the swamp.
Shrek 5 plot speculation
It’s possible that Shrek 5 won’t be a typical sequel. Chris Meledandri told Variety that Illumination is taking a fresh approach to Shrek.
He said: “The challenge for us has been to find something that really does feel like it’s not simply yet another film in a series of sequels.”
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It almost sounds like they’re going for the legacy sequel approach… Shrek: The Swamp Awakens? Shresurrections? Shrek: 2049? Shrek & Donkey Face the Swamp? Or will they keep it simple with just, Shrek? Who knows.
The task of reinventing Shrek falls to screenwriter Michael McCullers, who’s previously worked on Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, Thunderbirds, and The Boss Baby. When speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, McCullers teased his approach to the project.
“It’s really personal to me. It’s got a pretty big reinvention behind it that I guess I can’t really reveal, but since DreamWorks was sold to Universal in that time for over $3 billion, I imagine they’re particularly interested in it stepping up and actually figuring out the future of the franchise in that way on the corporate level.”
The scribe also pointed out that Illumination needed to take the franchise in a fresh direction because of how beloved the previous films are. “Reinvention was sort of called for. There’s been four movies and a lot of material, so the characters are pretty beloved and they’re great characters, but you also have to think of a pretty new take at that point.”
As for the Shrek 5 teaser at the end of Puss in Boots 2, the directors of that kids movie implied it was effectively an accident. Joel Crawford told ScreenRant: “There was no master plan; it was more us just going: ‘Can we put this in and hope that there’s more'” I think it’s really up to the audiences. Do they want to see more? I think one of the just amazingly gratifying things is the way the world has received this movie and continues to.”
Shrek 5 trailer
There is not currently a Shrek 5 trailer, but you can take a look at the Puss in Boots 2 trailer in order to get a flavour of the franchise’s current direction.
While we wait for more news, check out our list of the best family movies. We also have a guide breaking down the best new movies 2023 has to offer, including the Barbie movie release date, the Oppenheimer release date, and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3 release date.
