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 move allows Minions 3, a spin-off from the Despicable Me franchise, to maintain its original July 1, 2026 release date, capitalizing on the lucrative Independence Day box office.

Variety reports that this scheduling change keeps the Despicable Me films' tradition of a July 4th weekend release. Shrek 5, meanwhile, will now aim for the highly competitive holiday season of 2026, marking its return after a 16-year absence from the big screen.

Initially announced in 2016, the project remained relatively quiet for several years. However, Chris Meledandri, CEO of Illumination, confirmed its active development in 2023, along with hints of a potential Donkey spin-off.

Eddie Murphy, the voice of Donkey, further confirmed the film's progress a year later, adding fuel to the speculation surrounding a Donkey solo film. "We started doing [Shrek 5] months ago," he revealed. "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."

The release of Shrek 5 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 character has also starred in two successful spin-offs: the first in 2011, and the critically acclaimed Puss in Boots: The Last Wish in 2022. The latter received rave reviews, including a 9/10 score from IGN, which praised its "stunning animation" and "poignant, surprisingly mature story," calling it "the Shrek franchise's answer to Logan we didn't know we needed."