Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy and Cameron Diaz are all returning for the upcoming fifth installment in the 'Shrek' franchise.
Get your waffles ready, Shrek is back!
Dreamworks announced in July 2024 that the beloved animated franchise will be returning for a fifth film, with Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy and Cameron Diaz all returning to reprise their roles in the upcoming Shrek 5.
The studio shared the exciting news on social media with a video that included Smash Mouth's iconic Shrek soundtrack hit, "All Star," with titles announcing that "The All-Star Returns."
Shrek 5 is set to debut in theaters on July 1, 2026, which seems particularly Far Far Away, but holds special significance to the franchise. The date will mark 25 years since the premiere of the first-ever Shrek film back in 2001.
So far, the Shrek franchise includes the 2001 original -- which was loosely based on the 1990 children's picture book Shrek! by William Steig -- as well as 2004's Shrek 2, 2007's Shrek the Third and 2010's Shrek Forever After. There’s also been two spinoffs based on Puss in Boots, who was introduced in Shrek 2 -- 2011’s Puss in Boots and 2022’s Puss in Boots: The Last Wish.
Here's everything we know so far about Shrek 5:
CAST
In July 2024, it was confirmed that Mike Myers will reprise his titular role in the upcoming Shrek 5, Eddie Murphy will return as Donkey and Cameron Diaz will once again voice Princess Fiona.
Other possible cast members who might reprise their roles include Antonio Banderas, who has voiced Puss in Boots in Shrek 2, Shrek the Third and Shrek Forever After, as well as two standalone Puss in Boots films. Julie Andrews and John Cleese could also potentially cameo as Princess Fiona's parents, Queen Lillian and King Harold, having appeared in Shrek 2-4.
Also, given that Shrek 5 is being directed by Walt Dohm, who voiced Shrek Forever After's main antagonist, Rumpelstiltskin, it seems highly possible that character might return to wreak more havoc for Shrek and his family, after being imprisoned at the end of the last film.
PLOT
No plot details have yet been revealed about Shrek 5, however, it seems likely that the events of the new film will pick up some time after its predecessor, Shrek Forever After. In that film, Shrek struggled with being a family man at home with Fiona and their triplets, Farkle, Fergus and Felicia -- whose first birthday party was a central plot point of the film's conflict.
Depending on how far in the future Shrek 5 takes place, the triplets may be older, more central characters in the film, along with Donkey and Dragon's six hybrid "Dronkey" children.
Murphy told ET in June 2024 that there is also a standalone Donkey movie in the works, revealing, "We're doing another Shrek and we're doing a Donkey movie... just Donkey, well, his dragon wife, his half-dragon donkey children will be in it."
PRODUCTION & RELEASE DATES
In June 2024, Murphy told ET that production on Shrek 5 had begun six months prior.
"We started doing Shrek six months ago," he shared. "Shrek is coming back. So we're doing another Shrek and we're doing a Donkey movie. We have a Donkey movie."
Shrek 5 will be in theaters on July 1, 2026. It will then move to streaming, first on Peacock and then Netflix.
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