When we last checked in with Shrek and Fiona, the two were living happily ever after as Shrek shifted into Dad mode after the birth of their little ogre babies. Since then, fans have gone on to have various adventures with Puss in Boots and we all just assumed that Shrek was off living his best dad life. That is until last year when Illumination founder and CEO Chris Meledandri confirmed that we haven’t seen the last of the green ogre. Now, some more details are coming out about the next phase in the Shrek universe.
In a new interview with Collider, Murphy revealed that he already recorded dialogue for the next Shrek installment, which might be coming sooner than we think. Murphy said, “We started doing [Shrek] 5 months ago,” he said. He then revealed that he has already knocked out the first act of the movie, and he is gearing up for his own film. “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. So we’re gonna do a Shrek, and we’re doing a Donkey [movie].” Finally, Murphy will get to live his dream of being funnier than Antonio Banderas.
Murphy then clarified that Shrek 5 and the Donkey movie are separate, and he did not record lines simultaneously, so there really are two movies on the way. “I started recording Shrek, I think it’s coming out in 2025, and we’re doing a Donkey one next.”
This is a lot of news coming from the land of Far Far Away, so here is everything we know do far about the upcoming Shrek installments.
Plot
While 2010’s Shrek Forever After was the last time the green ogre graced the big screen (unless you count…this) a mid-credits scene in 2022’s Puss In Boots: The Last Wish revealed that Puss was heading to Far Far Away to “find new adventures and see some old friends,” which hinted that the gang would reunite again soon. Not much else about the plot has been revealed but we can expect enough fairy tale puns to fill a 90-minute movie.
Cast
Meledandri confirmed that they would ensure the entire cast would return. “We anticipate the cast coming back. Talks are starting now, and every indication that we’ve gotten is there’s tremendous enthusiasm on behalf of the actors to return,” he said last spring. This hopefully includes Mike Myers, Cameron Diaz and Antonio Banderas.
Diaz famously took a step back from acting in 2014, though she has been slowly retuning to the screen, so hopefully that means Fiona is also ready to return. In the past, the Shrek films have also featured fun cameos, so fans can expect a few of those thrown in there for good measure. Maybe Justin Timberlake will take a break from his infamous World Tour to return as poor Arthur.
Release Date
Murphy confirmed that the movie would likely get a 2025 release date. Every other Shrek installment has been released in late April or early May, which means that a spring 2025 release date is very likely, should they follow the past formula. As for the Donkey adventure, that might get a 2026 release, but there has been no news on that date quite yet.
Trailer
There is no trailer at the moment, but you can check out the Puss in Boots: The Last Wish post-credits scene to hear the return of that familiar theme music!!! Did you get chills?!?!
