- The fifth Shrek film was due to hit theaters on July 1, 2026
- Minions 3 has been moved by nearly a year to fill Shrek’s place
- Shrek voice actors are all back on board for the ogre’s latest outing
Fans of Shrek we have bad news – you have even longer to wait for the return of your favorite ogre – the studio has just delayed its release by another six months.
It has already been nearly 15 years since Shrek Forever After was in theaters, and it will be 16 and a half by the time the fifth in the franchise hits screens. Universal and DreamWorks Animation have now said the film will be out on December 23, 2026, rather than July 1.
When it is finally released, Shrek 5 will also celebrate the franchise’s 25th anniversary – the original film came out in 2001.
Minions 3 announcement
Shrek 5 has swapped places in the schedules with Minions 3. The third solo outing for the yellow henchmen is looking to capitalise on the enduring popularity of the Despicable Me world – last year’s Despicable Me 4 took $969 million at the global box office, according to Box Office Mojo.
It also means that Minions 3 continues the tradition of Despicable Me and related films being released to coincide with Independence Day in the US.
Shrek 5 returning voice actors
But while we must wait a little longer for our Shrek fix, it does give time to ramp up the expectation. Core voice actors including Mike Myers, Cameron Diaz and Eddie Murphy – Shrek, Princess Fiona and Donkey respectively – are all returning, although it hasn’t been confirmed if others, such as Antonio Banderas, who voices Puss in Boots, are back on board too.
Walt Dohrn, who worked on the second and third films as a writer and artist and as Head of Story on the fourth film, will be stepping up to the role of director. He is also known for his work on the Trolls franchise and Spongebob Squarepants.
As regards potential plotlines, as you might expect, DreamWorks is keepings its cards close to its chest currently. Here is all we know about Shrek 5.
