Shrek 5 Delayed as It Swaps Release Dates With Minions 3

Universal Pictures has recently announced a shift in their release schedule, pushing back the highly anticipated Shrek 5 to December 23, 2026. In its place, the studio has slotted the Despicable Me spin-off Minions 3 for an earlier release on July 1, 2026, aligning it with the lucrative Independence Day box office period that the franchise traditionally targets.

Shrek 5 marks a significant milestone, aiming to capitalize on the holiday season for its debut. This sequel, the first mainline entry in the Shrek series in 16 years, has been a long time coming. Initially announced in 2016, it saw a resurgence in development news in 2023 when Chris Meledandri, CEO of Illumination, confirmed its progress alongside plans for a Donkey spin-off.

Eddie Murphy, who voices Donkey, provided an update a year later, affirming that production on Shrek 5 was well underway. "We started doing [Shrek 5] months ago," Murphy shared. "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." This statement not only revitalizes excitement for Shrek 5 but also hints at an expanding universe with a standalone Donkey film.

The release of Shrek 5 will coincide with the franchise's 25th anniversary, a testament to its enduring popularity since the original film debuted in 2001. Subsequent sequels, including Shrek 2, Shrek the Third, and Shrek Forever After, were released in 2004, 2007, and 2010 respectively, each adding to the rich tapestry of the Shrek universe.

Additionally, the Shrek franchise has successfully ventured into spin-offs with the Puss in Boots series. The first Puss in Boots film premiered in 2011, followed by Puss in Boots: The Last Wish in 2022, which garnered exceptional reviews. IGN rated it a 9/10, praising it as "Puss in Boots: The Last Wish mixes stunning animation with a poignant, surprisingly mature story to deliver the Shrek franchise's answer to Logan we didn't know we needed."