Universal Pictures has shifted the release date of Shrek 5 by a few months, pushing it back to December 23, 2026. This allows Minions 3, a spin-off from the Despicable Me franchise, to maintain its original July 1, 2026 release date, capitalizing on the Independence Day box office.
Variety reports that this scheduling change keeps the Despicable Me films' tradition of a July 4th weekend release. Shrek 5, meanwhile, will now aim for the lucrative holiday season of 2026, marking its return after a 16-year hiatus.
First announced in 2016, the sequel remained relatively quiet for years until 2023, when Chris Meledandri, CEO of Illumination, confirmed its active development, along with hints of a potential Donkey spin-off.
Eddie Murphy, the voice of Donkey, further confirmed the project's progress a year later, adding fuel to the Donkey spin-off rumors. "We started doing [Shrek 5] months ago," he stated. "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 franchise, as the original Shrek film debuted in 2001. This was followed by Shrek 2 (2004), Shrek the Third (2007), and Shrek Forever After (2010).
The popular Puss in Boots character has also starred in two successful spin-offs: the first in 2011, and the critically acclaimed Puss in Boots: The Last Wish in 2022. The latter film received overwhelmingly positive reviews, earning a 9/10 rating from IGN, who praised its "stunning animation" and "poignant, surprisingly mature story," calling it "the Shrek franchise's answer to Logan we didn't know we needed."
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