Everyone’s favourite lovable green ogre might be getting his fifth movie next year with Shrek 5, but that doesn’t mean that he will be the only character in the franchise getting the spotlight, as actor Eddie Murphy has confirmed that the previously teased spin-off movie centred on the beloved side character Donkey will arrive after, with production starting in September.
This announcement comes via an interview conducted with Murphy by ScreenRant, in which the conversation shifted focus from his upcoming movie, The Pickup, to the Shrek franchise and its future. Murphy revealed that the voice cast for Shrek 5 is still in the process of recording ahead of its release next year, and that after the film, he would be starting work on a Donkey spin-off.
“We’re still in the booth, and literally, we’re still doing Shrek,” the 64-year-old actor explained when asked about the movie’s progress. “We start in September on Donkey, we’re doing a Donkey one, and that’ll be three years from now, but we’re about two years into Shrek 5. Still in the booth and about to start Donkey in September.”
When further asked whether the upcoming spin-off would be a movie or a TV series, Murphy added that “Donkey’s going to be like how Puss in Boots had his own movie, Donkey’s going to have his own movie, own little story with his dragon wife and his kids that are half-dragon and half-donkeys”, and that it would be a “funny story”.
This news will certainly be exciting for fans of the franchise, especially since Donkey was not only a crucial character in the series, but also one of the most beloved among its fan base. With a solo outing in the works, this gives an opportunity to further explore the character, specifically his bizarre relationship with Dragon, and the pair’s half-dragon, half-donkey babies, meaning that hopefully, this upcoming movie has the potential to be as weird as ever, exactly what fans are looking for.
The Donkey spin-off is set for release sometime in 2028, according to Murphy’s comments, but before that, Shrek 5 is set to hit theatres sometime near the tail end of 2026.
Kevin is a reformed PC Master Race gamer with a penchant for franchise “duds” like Darksiders III and Dead Space 3. He has made it his life-long mission to play every single major game release – lest his wallet dies trying.
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