Shrek 5 Release Date, Cast, Directors And More

"Shrek" celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2021, with the franchise comprising multiple canonical movies, a couple of big-screen spinoffs, and multiple TV specials and streaming series. And the journey isn't "ogre" yet. Fans have more fairytale adventures to look forward to featuring the titular green monster, his waffle-loving best buddy Donkey, and their fairy tale friends. 

In fact, the wait for another "Shrek" movie has been so long that "Shrek 5" will undoubtedly be met with some excitement across the board. It's been almost 15 years since the last sequel, "Shrek Forever After," made us think that DreamWorks' hit franchise had completed its run, but the appetite to make more "Shrek" movies never went away. A fifth installment was announced in 2016, though it hasn't enjoyed the smoothest and swiftest journey to the screen thus far.

However, filmmakers are in the early stages of production, so that fifth installment will be coming along sooner than you think. Here's all the news and developments for the still untitled fifth "Shrek" movie.

Given that it's been over a decade since "Shrek Ever After," the trajectory of the "Shrek" franchise and its releases has been disrupted. At the height of the franchise's popularity, new "Shrek" movies came along every three years, having been released in 2001, 2004, 2007 and 2010, respectively. 

For a while, we thought a "Shrek 5" might hit theaters in 2019, but that obviously didn't happen. Then it was pretty quiet on the "Shrek" front, and we're assuming the coronavirus pandemic and the WGA/SAG-AFTRA strikes probably didn't help the film's progress. However, there is one thing that's actually got the ball moving — "Puss in Boots: The Last Wish." Per Variety, producer Chris Meledandri of Illumination was given the job of reinvigorating the "Shrek" and "Puss" franchises, and with the success of 2022's "The Last Wish," it put "Shrek 5" back into the spotlight.

Now, we know exactly when we'll see the upcoming fairy tale comedy. "Shrek 5" currently has a release date of July 1, 2026. So we still have a while to wait, but at least we know when the big ogre will be back in action.

While we only know three stars who will lend their voices to "Shrek 5," they're the most important voices in the franchises. Yep, Mike Myers, Cameron Diaz, and Eddie Murphy are returning to play Shrek, Fiona, and Donkey, respectively. We're unsure if Antonio Banderas will appear as Puss in Boots, but we do know that Murphy will get even additional time to shine as Donkey. Speaking with Collider, the comedy legend revealed that not only will be contributing his vocal chops to "Shrek 5," he'll also be getting his own spin-off movie. Hey, you can never get too much Donkey, especially after we haven't seen the guy in nearly 15 years.

We know Mike Myers, Cameron Diaz, and Eddie Murphy will be bringing the "Shrek" characters to life, but who will be calling the shots behind the scenes? Well, "Shrek 5" will be co-directed by Brad Ableson and Walt Dohrn. Ableson knows a thing or two about directing zany animated critters, as he co-helmed "Minions: The Rise of Gru." He also directed the "Minions Holiday Special," served as a storyboard artist on "The Simpsons," and was also involved with "The Simpsons Movie." As for Dorhn (pictured above), he's well-versed in the world of "Shrek." Not only did he voice Rumpelstiltskin in "Shrek Forever After," he also served as the head of story. Plus, he worked as both a writer and artist on "Shrek 2" and "Shrek the Third," so he knows his way around a fairy tale parody.