Shrek's big-screen comeback might be on the horizon, but it seems like the mischievous Minions are hogging the summer of 2026 first.
It's not too far in the past when DreamWorks announced the return of the beloved Shrek franchise with a new movie. However, if you're eagerly waiting to enjoy an adventure with Shrek, Fiona, and Donkey, you might need to be patient a bit longer.
On a recent friday, Universal declared a shift in release dates. Instead of debuting on July 1, 2026, Shrek 5 will now hit the theaters on December 23 of the same year. In its place, Minions 3 will take the stage with an intended release date of June 30, 2027. This change in plans came after Illumination announced their threequel last year, with a projected launch on June 30, 2027. But now, an unnamed Illumination film will occupy that June 2027 date instead, as it was previously set for March.
No specific reasons have been provided by the studio for the shift in dates, but this arrangement seemingly benefits both Shrek and the Despicable Me series. Generally, the Despicable Me franchise performs well during the Independence Day season, and children's films have historically demonstrated strong performance over the holiday season.
Both Shrek 5 and Minions 3 will be led by long-time veterans of their respective franchises. Directing duties for the new Shrek installment will be shared by Conrad Vernon, co-director of Shrek 2, and Walt Dohrn, who served as artist-story head on Shrek 4. They will be reunited with the series' original voice trio, Mike Myers, Cameron Diaz, and Eddie Murphy. While the sequel's ending hinted at a return of Antonio Banderas' swashbuckling feline, Puss in Boots, it remains uncertain how or if he will be featured in this film. For Minions 3, Peter Coffin, director of the first three Despicable Me films (and the voice of the chittering yellow beasts), will take the helm, with Brian Lynch, creator of the original 2015 spinoff movie, writing the script.
In summary, Minions 3 will be released on July 1, 2026, Shrek 5 on December 23, 2026, and an unnamed Illumination film on June 30, 2027. Just preceding Minions 3, the highly anticipated new Super Mario movie is set to debut on April 3, 2026.
[via Deadline]
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