Shrek 5 Delayed as It Swaps Release Dates With Minions 3

Universal Pictures has shifted the release date of Shrek 5 by a few months, pushing it back to December 23, 2026. This allows Minions 3, a spin-off from the Despicable Me franchise, to retain its original July 1, 2026 release date. This keeps the Despicable Me films' tradition of a July 4th weekend release.

As reported by Variety, Shrek 5's new release date targets the lucrative holiday season of 2026. This marks the return of the main Shrek franchise after a 16-year hiatus.

Initially announced in 2016, the project remained relatively quiet until 2023 when Chris Meledandri, CEO of Illumination, confirmed its active development, alongside plans for a Donkey spin-off.

Eddie Murphy, the voice of Donkey, further confirmed the film's progress in 2024, stating that recording for the first act was complete and the film was on track for completion. He also reiterated the possibility of a Donkey solo film. "We started doing [Shrek 5] months ago," he said. "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."

Shrek 5's release will coincide with the 25th anniversary of the original Shrek film, which premiered in 2001. The franchise continued with Shrek 2 (2004), Shrek the Third (2007), and Shrek Forever After (2010).

The popular Puss in Boots spin-off series also boasts two successful films: the first in 2011 and Puss in Boots: The Last Wish in 2022. The latter received critical acclaim, earning a 9/10 rating from IGN, who praised its "stunning animation with a poignant, surprisingly mature story," calling it "the Shrek franchise's answer to Logan we didn't know we needed."