Everyone’s favourite green ogre is returning to his swamp for a little while longer, as Universal Pictures has delayed its upcoming sequel, Shrek 5, from its scheduled 23 December 2026 date to 30 June 2027.
As reported by Variety, this marks the second release date delay for the film, which was originally set for July 2026. Alongside its move, Universal has also shifted up the release of its untitled Illumination film to 16 April 2027, instead of its original date in late June that year.
With the move, Shrek 5 is now no longer set to release in the crowded holiday period, meaning it will not have to compete with other big hitters such as Avengers: Doomsday, Dune: Part III and Ice Age 6, which are all set for release in December 2026. Its new premiere date still faces stiff competition, however, as it is set less than a week after Sony’s upcoming animated sequel, Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse.
Universal and DreamWorks Animation’s sequel, which will mark the first mainline entry in the series since 2010’s Shrek Forever, will see the return of mainstays Mike Myers (Austin Powers franchise), Eddie Murphy (Beverly Hills Cop), and Cameron Diaz (Charlie’s Angels) as the voice of Shrek, Donkey and Fiona, respectively, with Zendaya (Euphoria) joining the cast as Felicia, Shrek and Fiona’s teenage daughter.
Shrek 5 will also see the return of franchise veterans Walt Dohrn and Conrad Vernon, who are attached to the film as its directors, alongside co-director Brad Ableson (Minions: The Rise of Gru). Additionally, its delay also means that the planned Donkey spin-off, which was recently announced by Murphy, would presumably also be shifted back, so it remains to be seen if it can hit its planned release in 2028 now that the fifth film has been delayed to 2027.
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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