Shrek 5 Release Swapped with Minions 3

Universal Pictures has shifted the release date for Shrek 5 to December 23, 2026, while moving the Despicable Me spin-off, Minions 3, into its former slot. As reported by Variety, Minions 3 is now set to premiere on July 1, 2026, maintaining the tradition of Despicable Me films capitalizing on the lucrative Independence Day box office. On the other hand, Shrek 5 will now aim for the 2026 holiday season, marking its first mainline release in 16 years.

The sequel was initially announced back in 2016 but saw little progress until 2023 when Chris Meledandri, CEO of Illumination, confirmed its active development along with plans for a Donkey spin-off. Eddie Murphy, who voices Donkey, later affirmed that Shrek 5 was in production, stating, "We started doing [Shrek 5] months ago. 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."

Shrek 5's release will coincide with the franchise's 25th anniversary, as the original Shrek debuted in 2001. Subsequent sequels, Shrek 2, Shrek the Third, and Shrek Forever After, were released in 2004, 2007, and 2010 respectively.

The Puss in Boots character has also expanded the Shrek universe with two spin-offs. The first, Puss in Boots, was released in 2011, followed by Puss in Boots: The Last Wish in 2022. The latter received exceptional reviews, earning a 9/10 from IGN, which praised it as, "Puss in Boots: The Last Wish mixes stunning animation with a poignant, surprisingly mature story to deliver the Shrek franchise's answer to Logan we didn't know we needed."