The first trailer has been revealed for Shrek 5. One of the most popular animated series of all time began in 2001 and would go on to spawn three direct sequels and two spinoff movies with Puss in Boots and Puss in Boots: The Last Wish. It has been several years since a mainline movie was released, but the production on Shrek 5 is underway and is currently slated for a December 2026 release date.

Now, Universal Pictures has revealed the first teaser trailer for Shrek 5. The teaser introduces older versions of Shrek and Fiona alongside their grown-up daughter and Donkey. Pinocchio also returns to the screen for a brief moment. In addition, Universal announced that Zendaya is joining the voice cast of Shrek 5 as Shrek and Fiona’s ogre daughter. The end of the clip also confirmed that the fifth movie will be coming out Christmas 2026.

What This Means For Shrek 5

It Seems As Much Time Has Pᴀssed In The Universe As In Real Life

Shrek and Fiona first have babies in Shrek the Third. Fiona births triplets named Fergus, Farkle, and Felicia, who are still very young during the events of Shrek Forever After. ᴀssuming the ogre pair did not have any other babies in the gap between the previous franchise movie and now, Zendaya is most likely playing the one female triplet from this original trio, Felicia. Whether Fergus and Farkle appear in Shrek 5, and who will be their voices, remains to be seen.

The trailer also hints that a significant time in the Shrek universe has pᴀssed since audiences last saw these characters. In real life, 16 years have pᴀssed between the release of the fourth and fifth movies, and based on the aged-up redesigns for Shrek and Fiona, a similar time length has unraveled in-universe. This would also make Felicia around 16 to 18 years old, which would make sense to explore, as it would put her in the tumultuous teenage girl years, creating an interesting dynamic for the orge parents to handle.

Our Take On The Shrek 5 Trailer And Casting News

Zendaya’s Casting Is A Smart Move

Casting Zendaya in the Shrek franchise may be one of the smartest moves the DreamWorks franchise has made in a while. Between movies like Dune: Part Two and Challengers, Zendaya is one of the biggest stars right now and can appeal to a younger generation. With Shrek 5 coming out a full quarter-century after the first film, it will be vital for the movie to draw on the nostalgia and entice newer viewers, and bringing Zendaya on alongside incumbent stars like Mike Myers and Eddie Murphy is the perfect way to do this.

Source: Universal Pictures