DreamWorks Animation has officially confirmed the fifth instalment of its popular franchise Shrek. The animation studio announced on Twitter that Shrek 5 is set to hit the big screen after two years, on 1 July 2026.
The original voice actors Mike Myers, Cameron Diaz and Eddie Murphy will reprise their roles as Shrek, Princess Fiona and Donkey respectively. It is speculated that Walt Dohrn will direct Shrek 5; however, there is no official confirmation yet. Dohrn has previously worked as a writer and artist on Shrek 2 and Shrek the Third, and head of story on the fourth instalment Shrek Forever After where he also voiced Rumpelstiltskin. According to Variety, the film will be produced by Shrek Forever After producer Gina Shay, Illumination founder Chris Melandandri and will be co-directed by Brad Ableson.
According to reports, Donkey voice actor Murphy had accidentally revealed in an interview in June that the voice recording for the upcoming instalment in the Shrek franchise had begun and that his character will have his own spin-off movie.
The Shrek franchise so far consists of four feature films released between 2001 and 2010. The original Shrek was a huge success for DreamWorks Animation, as it grossed US$487 million worldwide, and was the first animated feature to win an Oscar among other nominees like Disney Pixar’s Monsters, Inc. and Paramount Pictures’ Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius in the animated feature category. Shrek 2 raked up US$928 million, while Shrek the Third and Shrek Forever After grossed $813 million and $752 million worldwide respectively.