Someone let the ogre out of the bag about the potential release date for the highly anticipated fifth installment of the beloved Shrek franchise.
An intern at NBC Universal listed the movie as among those hitting theaters in 2025 – but quickly deleted the post.
The Twitter/X account @DiscussingFilm was the first to report on the post.
Chris Meledandri, 63, the founder and CEO of Illumination., who is tasked with rebooting the Shrek franchise told Variety in April, ‘You look at what the core elements are that audiences have loved, and you do your very best to honor those core elements.
‘And then you’re hard at work to build story elements and new characters that take you to brand new places. The original cast is a huge part of that.’
‘We anticipate the cast coming back,’ the executive said, adding, ‘Talks are starting now, and every indication that we’ve gotten is there’s tremendous enthusiasm on behalf of the actors to return.’
Mike Myers, 60, has played the lovable ogre Shrek in all four films to date alongside Eddie Murphy, 62, as Donkey, Antonio Banderas, 63, as Puss, Cameron Diaz, 51, as Princess Fiona and John Lithgow as Lord Farquaad.
And after the success of the Puss in Boots: The Last Wish spinoff, which made $484.6 million worldwide, hopes are high that fans of Shrek will flock to theaters to see their old friends.
For what it’s worth, Murphy is all in to reprise his role as Donkey.
‘If [DreamWorks] ever came with another Shrek, I’d do it in two seconds. I love Donkey, Murphy told ETalk in January.
‘They did Puss in Boots movies. I was like, “They should have done a Donkey movie.” Donkey is funnier than Puss in Boots. I mean, I love Puss in Boots, but he ain’t funny as the Donkey.’
Meledandri said he was ‘thrilled’ when he read Murphy’s comments, adding, ‘It’s evidence of his strong enthusiasm for a role that he so brilliantly inhabited and really created alongside the artists at DreamWorks. I found that comment to be very exciting.’
When asked if Donkey deserved his own movie, he enthusiastically answered: ‘Without question.’
It might take a little bit of convincing to get Diaz to reprise her role.
The Charlie’s Angels star stepped back from acting in 2014 to focus on her family and raising her kids.
However, it might not be as hard as it would have been a year or so ago as she made a return to acting in 2022 starring alongside Jamie Foxx, 55, in the Netflix action comedy Back in Action.
The film is expected to be released sometime in 2024.
James Parker is a UK-based entertainment aficionado who delves into the glitz and glamour of the entertainment industry. From Hollywood to the West End, he offers readers an insider’s perspective on the world of movies, music, and pop culture.
