Shrek 5 Release Delayed, Swaps Dates with Minions 3

Universal Pictures has announced a strategic shift in its release schedule, pushing back the highly anticipated Shrek 5 to December 23, 2026, while placing the Despicable Me spin-off, Minions 3, in its original slot. As reported by Variety, Minions 3 will now premiere on July 1, 2026, aligning with the tradition of the Despicable Me series capitalizing on the lucrative Independence Day box office. Meanwhile, Shrek 5 will aim to capture the holiday audience in 2026, marking the first mainline release in the franchise in 16 years.

The sequel to the beloved series was first announced back in 2016 but saw little progress until 2023 when Chris Meledandri, CEO of Illumination, confirmed its active development. Alongside Shrek 5, there are also plans for a Donkey spin-off. Eddie Murphy, the voice behind Donkey, recently shared that the project is well underway, 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."

The release of Shrek 5 will coincide with the franchise's 25th anniversary, as the original film debuted in 2001. It was followed by Shrek 2 in 2004, Shrek the Third in 2007, and Shrek Forever After in 2010. The Shrek universe has also expanded through the Puss in Boots spin-offs, with the first released in 2011 and the critically acclaimed Puss in Boots: The Last Wish in 2022. The latter received stellar reviews, scoring a 9/10 from IGN, which praised it as "mixing stunning animation with a poignant, surprisingly mature story to deliver the Shrek franchise's answer to Logan we didn't know we needed."