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Once could say that DreamWorks Animation is the house that the Shrek franchise built. The sixth film from the animation giant, the original Shrek (2001) made waves in the animation world. It was praised as a brilliant satirical comedy that poked plenty of well-written fun at DreamWorks' arch-rival, Walt Disney Animation. The unique fairy tale world got even bigger in Shrek 2 (2004) - a flawless sequel that is just as good if not better than the film that preceded it. Shrek the Third (2007) is generally considered the weakest of the bunch, and while it has its moments, many found the plot to be quite less engaging than the previous two films. Thankfully the saga ended on a decent note with the time-bending Shrek Forever After (2010), but the marketing campaign declaring the fourth film as "the final chapter" seemed to indicate that this would be the last time we would see our beloved ogre.
The franchise ultimately would continue in a spin-off capacity with Puss in Boots (2011), and while it was a solid film, it didn't reach the heights of the franchise it originated from. However, the most recent feature film set in the world of Shrek, that being Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (2022), isn't just better than its predecessor, but it may just be the best film in the series yet. Complete with stellar writing, gorgeous animation, and a mature yet light-hearted tone, The Last Wish definitively proved to critics and audiences alike that the Shrek franchise has heaps more stories to tell. Perhaps knowing that the film would make an impact on audiences, The Last Wish ends in a way that teases this isn't the final visit to the fairy tale world, as Puss (Antonio Banderas), Kitty (Salma Hayek), and Perrito (Harvey Guillén) chart a course for the kingdom of Far, Far, Away.
If that isn't a direct tease for Shrek 5, then we don't know what is, and according to a recent interview from DreamWorks and Illumination producer Chris Meledandri, Shrek (Mike Myers) and the gang are set to return to the big screen sooner rather than later. To learn more about the cast and studio behind the practically guaranteed project, as well as potential spin-offs that may be in the pipeline, here is everything we know so far about Shrek 5.
Does Shrek 5 Have a Trailer Yet?
The highly-anticipated Shrek sequel is still in extremely early development, with the casting process only just getting underway. That means that animation and voice-over work likely hasn't even begun, and until the production process gets started, we'll have to wait a little while longer before getting our first good look at Shrek's big return.
Will Shrek 5 Be Released in Theaters or on Streaming?
Being the box office darling the franchise is, it's very unlikely that Shrek 5 will be skipping a theatrical release. Just like the first four Shrek films and the two Puss in Boots movies, the most likely way we'll be seeing Shrek 5 once it releases is on the big screens of movie theaters. That doesn't mean a streaming release is impossible, and we'll no doubt see the film eventually come to Peacock as its streaming platform of choice. Peacock is practically guaranteed to be the streaming home of Shrek 5, as the Universal Pictures-owned service has become the destination for DreamWorks' more recent features such as Puss in Boots: The Last Wish.
Does Shrek 5 Have a Release Date?
Again, Shrek 5 is still in the early stages of the development process, so we'll also have to wait on a date for when we can expect Shrek and his fairy tale friends to make their big return. DreamWorks and Universal currently have four films set for release. They include Ruby Gillman: Teenage Kraken on June 30th, 2023, Trolls Band Together on November 17th, 2023, an untitled project on February 9th, 2024, and Kung Fu Panda 4 on March 8th, 2024. Unless Shrek 5 happens to be that untitled project (unlikely given the early status of the film's development), we could possibly see Shrek 5 sometime during or after Holiday 2024.
What Is the Shrek Story So Far?
We don't have any plot details to share for Shrek 5 yet, but since it's been so long since we've seen the ogre and his family, here's a brief recap of the Shrek saga so far:
Shrek was once an isolated but content ogre owner of a swamp, spending his days taking mud baths and scaring off villagers. His life is suddenly upended when wannabe king Lord Farquad (John Lithgow) declares that all fairy tale creatures be banished to Shrek's swampland. Now unable to shake an extremely talkative Donkey (Eddie Murphy), Shrek makes a deal with Farquad to rescue Princess Fiona (Cameron Diaz) from her dragon-guarded prison and bring her back, so the Lord can marry her. Shrek succeeds, but he and Fiona begin to fall in love, complicating things for both of them. After stopping Farquad and discovering that Fiona herself is an ogre, Shrek and Fiona get married and live happily ever after.
In Shrek 2, Shrek, Fiona, and Donkey are invited to visit Fiona's royal parents, neither of which knows that Fiona decided to live life as a permanent ogre. That proves to be the least of their problems, as an evil Fairy Godmother (Jennifer Saunders) pits the newlyweds against each other, so she can control the kingdom. After befriending a would-be bounty hunter in Puss in Boots, Shrek tries to change himself into a human to make Fiona happy but ultimately learns that their happy enough without changing who they are.
Shrek the Third sees the Fairy Godmother's spoiled son, Prince Charming (Rupert Everett), seeking revenge on Shrek and Fiona. Again, Shrek has bigger concerns, as he's not only been chosen to become king after the passing of Fiona's father (John Cleese), but he's also soon to be a father of three ogre children. Feeling he can't handle all this responsibility, Shrek seeks out another relative to the throne, Arthur (Justin Timberlake), who ultimately becomes king of Far, Far, Away while Shrek focuses on becoming a dad.
That trip to fatherhood proves stressful in Shrek Forever After, where Shrek begins to think that life may have been better if he had never saved Fiona from that tower. He gets that wish and immediately regrets it after striking a deal with Rumpelstiltskin (Walt Dohrn), who transports Shrek to a world where he never went on any of his grand adventures. Thus, Shrek had to convince the friends he never met to take down the maniacal ruler Rumpelstiltskin, so he can reunite with his family.
The timeline continues with Puss in Boots, where Shrek's feline companion returns to his hometown and comes face to face with his friend-turned-enemy, Humpty Alexander Dumpty (Zach Galifianakis). Along with the shady egg and master thief Kitty Softpaws, the group forms a trio to steal the legendary golden goose and become rich beyond their wildest dreams. Humpty of course betrays Puss, but the feline hero is able to save the day and right the wrongs he committed in his past.
Finally, the story so far concludes with Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, taking place years after the events of the last film. When Puss loses eight of his nine lives, Puss teams up with Kitty and his new therapy dog Perrito to find the ancient last wish. In doing so, they also have to deal with various foes including Goldilocks (Florence Pugh) and the Three Bears Crime Family, Big Jack Horner (John Mulaney), and even Death (Wagner Moura) himself. Once Puss learns he can be happy with the one life he has, he and his friends make their way to Far, Far, Away to reunite with Shrek and the others.
Who Is Making Shrek 5?
We know that Illumination CEO, Chris Meledandri, will be executive producing Shrek 5. While talking about another one of his projects, The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023), Meledandri had this to say:
“It’s not that dissimilar to the process that we went through with ‘Mario,’ where you look at what the core elements are that audiences have loved, and you do your very best to honor those core elements. And then you’re hard at work to build story elements and new characters that take you to brand new places. The original cast is a huge part of that. [...] We anticipate the cast coming back. Talks are starting now, and every indication that we’ve gotten is there’s tremendous enthusiasm on behalf of the actors to return.”
However, the CEO of the animation company behind the recent hit video game film being involved with Shrek 5 doesn't mean Illumination Animation will be making Shrek 5. Meledandri also produced Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, which of course is still made by DreamWorks. It's nearly impossible to imagine that any studio other than DreamWorks would make a Shrek film, and while they're almost certainly the team making the next installment, we don't know exactly who is in the creative process of Shrek 5 at this time.
Who Is Starring in Shrek 5?
As mentioned by Meledandri, the main cast from the prior Shrek films are in talks to return for Shrek 5, and reportedly the prognosis for their return is very positive. Meledandri didn't name names, but this presumably includes Mike Myers as Shrek, Cameron Diaz as Fiona, Eddie Murphy as Donkey, and Antonio Banderas as Puss. Given the ending of Puss in Boots: The Last Wish saw Puss taking his companions with him back to Far, Far, Away, we can also reasonably assume that Salma Hayek and Harvey Guillén will return as Kitty and Perrito respectively.
Other regular members of the franchise we could possibly see are Conrad Vernon as Gingy, Christopher Knights as the Three Blind Mice, Aron Warner as the Big Bad Wolf, and Cody Cameron as Pinocchio and the Three Pigs. Not to mention, it's also more than likely we'll see Donkey's wife, Dragon, and their children the Dronkeys again. Other characters who don't show up often but could still possibly return are Julie Andrews as Fiona's mother, Justin Timberlake as King Arthur, and Eric Idle as Merlin. Given that Shrek and Fiona's three children, Farkle, Fergus, and Felicia, were infants in Shrek Forever After, we'll also likely see older versions of them in Shrek 5 with new voice actors attached.
Are Any Other Films Set in the Shrek Universe Being Planned?
Eddie Murphy has repeatedly expressed interest in returning to the Shrek franchise over the years, even recently saying the character should get his own spin-off film just like his Puss in Boots did. Though he might have been joking at the time, Meledandri confirmed in his interview that they're exploring options for a Donkey spin-off, so we might see the talkative ass get his own movie soon enough.
Are the Previous Shrek Films Available to Stream Online?
If you'd like to relive the magic of the Shrek series for yourself, here's exactly how you can do just that: