Universal Pictures shuffles its release schedule, pushing back Shrek 5 to December 23, 2026, while maintaining the July 1, 2026 release date for Minions 3.
According to Variety, this strategic shift allows Minions 3 to capitalize on the lucrative Independence Day box office, a tradition established by previous Despicable Me films. Shrek 5, the highly anticipated sequel, will now aim for the holiday season of 2026, marking its return after a 16-year hiatus.
Initially announced in 2016, the project remained relatively dormant until 2023 when Chris Meledandri, CEO of Illumination, 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, stating that recording for Shrek 5 had commenced and that a Donkey solo film was also in the works. "We started doing [Shrek 5] months ago," he revealed. "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."
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 spin-off series also boasts two successful installments: the first in 2011 and the critically acclaimed Puss in Boots: The Last Wish in 2022, which received a 9/10 rating from IGN. IGN praised the film, stating, "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."
