Chris Meledandri, of Illumination Entertainment fame, to produce 'Shrek 5

Universal Studios has officially announced the release date for Shrek 5 from DreamWorks Animation: July 1, 2026. Interestingly, this places it just a dozen days after Disney's scheduled release of Toy Story 5 from Pixar.

In their announcement today, Dreamwork's confirmed that the original voice cast of Shrek—Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, and Cameron Diaz—will all be reprising their iconic roles.

Directing the highly anticipated Shrek 5 will be Walt Dohrn, known for his work on the Trolls movies like Trolls World Tour and Trolls Band Together. Dohrn has a deep history with the Shrek series, having contributed as a story artist and writer on Shrek 2 and Shrek the Third, and later as head of story on Shrek Forever After. He also lent his voice to the character Rumpelstiltskin. Joining him as co-director is Brad Abelson, who co-directed Minions: The Rise of Gru.

Producing the film are Gina Shay, a veteran producer from Dreamworks who previously worked on Shrek Forever After, and Chris Meledandri, the founder of Illumination known for Despicable Me and The Secret Life of Pets. Meledandri's involvement with Shrek dates back to Comcast-NBCUniversal's acquisition of Dreamworks Animation in 2016, which brought Dreamworks and Illumination under the same corporate umbrella.

Meledandri, recognized for his track record of successful animated films, has expressed the challenge and excitement of rebooting the beloved Shrek franchise, which has been dormant since its last installment 14 years ago. He emphasized the importance of crafting a story that stays true to the spirit of Shrek while introducing fresh elements.

While the main Shrek series has been quiet, the spinoff Puss in Boots franchise has flourished with two films, including the critically acclaimed Puss in Boots: The Last Wish in 2022.