Looks like we’ll have to trek a little farther for Shrek’s big return. Universal Pictures and DreamWorks Animation are moving Shrek 5 from its Dec 23, 2026 holiday slot to a summer launch on Wednesday, June 30, 2027 — right back in the season where the franchise first found its magic. Summer blockbuster maybe?
The shift gives the ogre and his friends a less crowded runway, away from December’s heavy hitters like Avengers: Doomsday, Dune: Part III, and Ice Age 6.
Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, and Cameron Diaz return as Shrek, Donkey, and Fiona, with Zendaya joining the cast as Shrek’s daughter. Longtime Shrek creatives Walt Dohrn and Conrad Vernon will direct alongside Minions: The Rise of Gru co-director Brad Ableson. Vernon’s credits include Shrek 2, Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa, and voicing Gingy the Gingerbread Man, while Dohrn’s franchise history spans writing, story development, and voicing Rumpelstiltskin in Shrek Forever After.
The film is produced by Gina Shay (Trolls franchise, Shrek Forever After) and Illumination CEO Chris Meledandri, with DreamWorks Animation and Illumination teaming up on the fifthquel.
It’s been 17 years since the fourth film, Shrek Forever After, and an incredible 26 years since Shrek’s debut on the big screen in 2001.
Across its four films, the Shrek franchise has earned $2.9 billion worldwide, inspired an award-winning Broadway musical, launched global tours, and become a fixture at Universal Studios parks — all while flipping fairy-tale tropes on their heads. The original film also made history as the first-ever winner of the Oscar for Best Animated Feature.