
Shrek 5 has been delayed until 2027 with a new date that's over six months after its previously planned date. Variety reports that Shrek 5 has been moved off its latest release date of December 23, 2026 to a June 30, 2027 release. Cumulatively, that marks nearly a full year of delays for Shrek 5, which was originally announced for a July 2026 release.
Dreamworks has offered up no reason for the delay, though a cynical perspective may be that it could be tied to criticism over the designs that have been shown for Shrek 5, which have evolved from the original portrayal.
That new date is within a week of the newly revised release date for Sony's animated sequel Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse, itself the subject of multiple delays since its initial announcement. While Beyond the Spider-Verse will arrive four years after the previous film in the series, Across the Spider-Verse, that's nothing compared to Shrek 5, which will release 17 years after the previous installment in the franchise, 2010's Shrek Ever After.
The Shrek series, which first debuted all the way back in 2001, has so far spawned four films in the core series, as well as two spinoff movies starring Antonio Banderas' dashing Puss in Boots. Original cast members Mike Meyers (Shrek), Cameron Diaz (Princess Fiona), and Eddie Murphy (Donkey) are all set to reprise their classic roles for the sequel.
Alongside Shrek 5, Dreamworks is apparently prepping a solo movie for Eddie Murphy's Donkey, one of the most beloved characters of the Shrek series due to his endlessly cheerful nature and comic relief.
While we wait, check out our list of the best animated movies that aren’t Disney.