Universal Pictures has shifted the release date of Shrek 5 to December 23, 2026, while moving the Despicable Me spin-off, Minions 3, into its former slot. As reported by Variety, Minions 3 is now set to premiere on July 1, 2026, aligning with the tradition of Despicable Me films capitalizing on the Independence Day box office. Meanwhile, Shrek 5 will aim to capture the holiday audience in 2026, marking the first mainline release in the franchise in 16 years.
The sequel was first announced back in 2016, but updates were scarce until 2023 when Chris Meledandri, CEO of Illumination, confirmed that Shrek 5 was actively in development alongside plans for a Donkey spin-off. Eddie Murphy, who voices Donkey, further confirmed the project's progress in the following year, stating, "We started doing [Shrek 5] months ago. 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."
When Shrek 5 hits theaters, it will coincide with the 25th anniversary of the Shrek franchise, which began with the original film in 2001. The series continued with Shrek 2 in 2004, Shrek the Third in 2007, and Shrek Forever After in 2010.
The Shrek universe has also expanded with two Puss in Boots spin-offs. The first was released in 2011, followed by Puss in Boots: The Last Wish in 2022. The latter received widespread acclaim, earning a 9/10 from IGN, which praised it as, "Puss in Boots: The Last Wish mixes stunning animation with a poignant, surprisingly mature story to deliver the Shrek franchise's answer to Logan we didn't know we needed."
