Shrek 5 Release Swapped with Minions 3

Universal Pictures has announced a strategic shift in its release schedule, moving Shrek 5 to December 23, 2026, and placing the Despicable Me spin-off, Minions 3, in its original slot. According to Variety, Minions 3 will now premiere on July 1, 2026, maintaining the tradition of the Despicable Me series capitalizing on the lucrative Independence Day box office. Meanwhile, Shrek 5 is set to capture the holiday audience in 2026, marking the first mainline release in the franchise in 16 years.

The sequel was first announced in 2016, but progress was slow 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, provided an update a year later, confirming ongoing work on Shrek 5. He revealed, "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 25th anniversary of the original Shrek film, which debuted in 2001. The franchise has since expanded with sequels Shrek 2, Shrek the Third, and Shrek Forever After in 2004, 2007, and 2010, respectively.

Additionally, the character Puss in Boots has starred in two successful spin-offs, with the first released in 2011 and Puss in Boots: The Last Wish in 2022. The latter received exceptional reviews, scoring 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."