DreamWorks Animation has announced that Shrek 5 is officially in development with a scheduled release date in 2026.
Fans of the beloved franchise will be thrilled to hear that original stars Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, and Cameron Diaz are all confirmed to return.
However, the return of Antonio Banderas as Puss in Boots has yet to be confirmed.
The new installment will be directed by Walt Dohrn, who has a long history with the franchise, having served as a writer and artist on Shrek 2 and Shrek the Third, and as head of story on Shrek Forever After, where he also voiced Rumpelstiltskin.
The film will be produced by Gina Shay, a franchise veteran, and Chris Meledandri, founder of Illumination. Brad Ableson will serve as co-director.
Eddie Murphy revealed in June that he had already begun voice recording for the film.
‘We started doing [Shrek 5] months ago,’ Murphy told Collider. ‘I recorded the first act, and we’ll finish it up this year. Shrek is coming out and Donkey’s gonna have his own movie. We’re gonna do Donkey as well. So we’re gonna do a Shrek, and we’re doing a Donkey [movie].’
The Shrek franchise, which released four feature films between 2001 and 2010, has been a massive success for DreamWorks Animation.
The original grossed $487million (£380.8m) worldwide and won the first Oscar for Best Animated Feature.
Shrek 2 was even more successful, grossing almost double the original and competing for the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival.
Although Shrek the Third and Shrek Forever After received less acclaim, they still managed to gross enormous box office sums.
In 2018, Universal Pictures reportedly tasked Meledandri, the producer behind the Despicable Me franchise and The Super Mario Bros. Movie, with overseeing a revival of the Shrek and Puss in Boots franchises.
Meledandri emphasized the importance of the original vocal performances to the franchise’s success, telling 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,’ he said.
With “Shrek 5” on the horizon, fans can look forward to a return to the enchanting world of Far Far Away, with the promise of more adventures and laughs from their favourite characters.