Shrek 5: Release date, trailer and everything we know so far

Shrek 5 is the latest installment in the popular DreamWorks Animation series, which is based on the 1990 picture book of the same title by William Steig. Shrek 5 will be theatrically released on December 23, 2026, and will be distributed by Universal Pictures.

The movie is directed by Conrad Vernon and Walt Dohrn. The new Shrek movie was written by Michael McCullers, and produced by Gina Shay, with Illumination CEO Chris Meledandri.

The movie serves as the sequel to Shrek Forever After, which was released back in 2010. Shrek 5 was originally planned to be released in 2013. As per Variety, it was in November 2018, when CEO Chris Meledandri made an announcement about the Shrek franchise getting a reboot with a new project.

During the Las Vegas Comic Con held on July 10, 2024, Meledandri confirmed the production of Shrek 5, with its original cast of voice actors returning. On February 27, 2025, The Hollywood Reporter reported that Zendaya is set to voice the role of Shrek's daughter Felicia.

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Universal Pictures released the first trailer of Shrek 5

On February 27, 2025, Universal Pictures released a 27-second trailer of Shrek 5. In the trailer, viewers can see Mike Myers voicing the role of Shrek, while Cameron Diaz reprises her role voicing Princess Fiona. Viewers can also see the couple's daughter, Felicia, now all grown up, voiced by Zendaya.

In the video, Shrek and Donkey (played by Eddie Murphy) look into a mirror.

"Who's the fairest of them all?" Donkey asks the mirror.

The mirror replies:

"Shrek of course."

The mirror then presents a series of the ogre's images, including a pouting Shrek wearing sunglasses, a shirtless ripped Shrek with abs, and one with a black leather bodysuit.

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Shrek 5 first look receives critical reviews from fans

Fans on social media are criticizing the new animation design used by the production team in Shrek 5. Audience say that the new Shrek movie offers a sharp contrast from the animation style of the earlier movies in the franchise.

As per a Forbes article, published on February 27, 2025, DreakWorks is using a new animation engine known as MoonRay. This was first used for the production of the 2022 movie Puss in Boots: The Last Wish. Users on social media are posting their varied views on DreamWorks using the new animation style for the new Shrek movie.

An X User posted:

"I’m not a fan of the Shrek redesign/model imho I appreciate the more cartoony style they are going for, but I was a really big fan of how ugly and more “realistic” the old facial proportions were Hoping it looks better in the final release because ooooooof."

While replying to the post, other users provided their views on the animated movie experimenting with its conventional animation style.

"He looks too dopey now. Old shrek was a bit of an oaf, but with a sharp-witted edge. The new design comes off as soft, slow and perpetually confused," a user commented.

Another user wrote:

"I totally get what you mean, the older style had so much character."

Whereas, some fans provided their contrasting views. For example, an X user wrote:

"I don't necessarily have an issue with it, I just think maybe the shot didn't do his new model any favors (since it's only front facing poses), I think once we see some more shots of him in upcoming trailers I don't wanna say anything yet."

Another user appreciated the new development of its animation.

"I am struggling so hard to see why some think it’s bad. The only thing I can fathom it is that Classic Shrek™️ has the charm of cruder, awkwardly realistic rendering of mid 2000s animation and ppl have a nostalgic attachment to that akin to 480p cel animation," the user wrote.

As per The Direct article, published on March 15, 2025, the trailer of Shrek 5 received more than 560,000 dislikes on YouTube, which exceeded the 213,000 number of likes on the video.

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Check out our other articles to know more details about the new Shrek movie.